ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Crime

Stella Creasy: To ask the Attorney-General how many cases have been identified by the Crown Prosecution Service as hate crimes involving gender; and how many people have been (a) charged with and (b) convicted of hate crime involving gender in the last five years.

Dominic Grieve: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) data systems record offences that have been disproportionately targeted towards women and girls as offences of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). The gender dynamics of these crimes are acknowledged and understood in order to provide an appropriate and effective prosecution response. Men can also be victims of these offences, and women can be offenders. Male victims will have the same access to protection and legal redress as female victims. All cases are prosecuted fairly and justly in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.
	The volume of prosecutions and convictions of VAWG offences (against female or male victims) in the last five years is provided in the following table. This includes offence data relating to domestic violence, rape and sexual offences. Since April 2008 the CPS has reported on the prosecution of VAWG crimes. Prior to April 2008, domestic violence was recorded and reported on as a hate crime.
	
		
			 VAW case load 2007-08 to 2011-12 
			  DV Rape Sexual Offences Total VAW 
			  Convictions Charged Convictions Charged Convictions Charged Convictions Charged 
			 2007-08 43,977 63,819 2,021 3,503 5,976 8,130 51,974 75,452 
			 2008-09 48,465 67,094 2,018 3,495 5,955 7,934 56,438 78,523 
			 2009-10 53,347 74,113 2,270 3,819 6,060 7,972 61,677 85,904 
			 2010-11 59,104 82,190 2,467 4,211 6,591 8,865 68,162 95,266 
			 2011-12 58,139 79,271 2,414 3,864 6,311 8,337 66,864 91,472

Crown Prosecution Service: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Attorney-General what the annual cost is of the lease for Athena House, York; how the annual cost is apportioned between the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and North Yorkshire police; when the lease is due to end; and what the cost to the CPS would be of (a) terminating the lease and (b) paying for underused office space if the CPS were to move its staff to other premises.

Edward Garnier: The Athena House building contains offices for both the Crown Prosecution Service and North Yorkshire police. There is no joint lease, each organisation leases separate parts of the building. The lease for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) accommodation ends in February 2020, with a lease break in February 2015.
	CPS currently pays rent of £186,158 per annum, inclusive of VAT for its share of Athena House. There is a cost sharing agreement with North Yorkshire police for running costs.
	CPS will be liable to pay rent for Athena House until the exercise of the break clause option in February 2015. It is not anticipated that there will be any financial penalty attached to the exercise of the break clause.

Crown Prosecution Service: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Attorney-General what estimate he made of the annual savings which would be achieved by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) co-locating CPS and police staff prior to the opening of Athena House in York; and what estimate he has made of such savings made by the CPS in each year since Athena House was opened.

Edward Garnier: In 2005, the North Yorkshire Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) moved from Ryedale House in central York to Athena House, based on the outskirts of York, co-locating CPS and police staff at Athena House. Co-location enabled the communication links between the police and CPS to be shortened, reducing delay and improving efficiency.
	The business case for the move cited the national Glidewell review as the basis for savings. The Glidewell review pilots estimated an average saving to all criminal justice agencies of £17.40 per criminal case. Based on a caseload of 14,000 cases per year in North Yorkshire, the projected savings across all CJS agencies was £243,600. It is not possible to apportion any part of these projected savings to any individual criminal justice agency nor is it possible to identify whether any savings were made in reality as a result of the co-location, as no subsequent analysis has been carried out.
	The year on year cost of estate for North Yorkshire CPS is as follows:
	In 2004-05: £314,757 (covering offices in Northallerton, Scarborough, Harrogate and York Ryedale House).
	In 2005-06: £476,530 (covering offices in Scarborough, Harrogate and Ryedale House/Athena house for parts of the year).
	In 2006-07: £452,803 (covering offices in Scarborough, Harrogate and Athena House).
	In 2007-08: £396,550 (covering offices in Athena House and Harrogate). No changes to estates in 2008-09, 2009-10 or 2010-11.
	In 2011-12: £362,646 (covering offices in Athena House and Harrogate for part of the year).

Extradition

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Attorney-General what proportion of its total budget the Crown Prosecution Service spent on extradition cases in each year since 2003.

Edward Garnier: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) did not maintain separate financial data for the Extradition Unit prior to 2007-08. The following table details the percentage budget spend for the Extradition Unit and does not include import cases dealt with by the CPS areas.
	
		
			 Financial year Total CPS budget(£) Total Extradition Unit spend (£) Percentage spend 
			 2007-08 648,432,000 1,489,677 0.23 
			 2008-09 648,032,000 2,121,732 0.33 
			 2009-10 689,156,000 1,750,115 0.25 
			 2010-11 642,888,000 1,724,557 0.27 
			 2011-12 621,853,000 2,714,827 0.44

Pay

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Attorney-General how many staff working for the Law Officers' Departments and its executive agencies are employed through off-payroll engagements costing less than £58,200 per annum; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Garnier: The information requested is contained in the following table:
	
		
			 Department Number of staff employed under off-payroll engagements costing less than £58,000 per annum 
			 Treasury Solicitor’s Department(1) 97 
			 Serious Fraud Office 30 
			 Crown Prosecution Service 4 
			 (1) Tsol data also cover the Attorney-General’s Office and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate 
		
	
	None of the above mentioned staff members are civil servants. The majority are temporary staff engaged through employment agencies to cover short-term vacancies and to secure specific specialist legal and support skills that are not available in-house.

Proceeds of Crime

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Attorney-General what his Department’s strategy is on recovering criminal assets owed through outstanding confiscation orders; and what targets he has set for such recovery.

Edward Garnier: The Crown Prosecution Service and Serious Fraud Office have no formal targets for recovering criminal assets owed through outstanding confiscation orders. However, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) aims to deliver year on year improvements to its net realisations from confiscation orders. The SFO did have an internal target to recover £19 million of proceeds, not restricted to criminal assets owed from confiscation orders, in the financial year ending March 2011. This figure included civil recovery sums, costs orders and other reparations which can be demonstrated as being made as a direct result of SFO activity. The SFO’s work resulted in over £50 million of assets being recovered from the proceeds of crime in 2011-12.
	The enforcement of outstanding orders is generally by HM Courts and Tribunal Service, who hold primary responsibility for this issue. However, both the CPS and SFO take the lead on enforcement when they can add value. Each case is dependent on its facts but relevant factors will be the value of the order, whether it is appropriate to appoint an enforcement receiver; and whether mutual legal assistance will be required to realise overseas assets. Where enforcement action has not led to the order being satisfied, consideration is given to requesting that the Court activate the default sentence.

Proceeds of Crime

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Attorney-General what the value was of criminal assets successfully recovered through confiscation orders issued by the Crown Prosecution Service in (a) Spain, (b) the Cayman Islands, (c) the British Virgin Islands, (d) Switzerland, (e) Mauritius, (f) Dubai, (g) India, (h) Pakistan, (i) Jersey, (j) Guernsey, (k) Cyprus and (l) Thailand in each of the last five years.

Edward Garnier: The information sought is not currently available. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) relies on the joint asset recovery database (JARD) to generate its statistics on asset recovery. The ability to record country specific information has only recently been added to the JARD and as such there are insufficient available data to provide an accurate answer.
	If defendants are unwilling to repatriate their assets voluntarily, the CPS will generally seek mutual legal assistance from the states in which the assets are located. In the absence of a relevant treaty, convention or asset sharing agreement, the requested state is entitled to retain any assets recovered and to provide a certificate of realisation, which enables the amount realised to be credited towards the remaining balance of a defendant’s confiscation order. If compensation for victims is included within the confiscation order, states will generally agree to repatriate the sums recovered net of their costs.

Proceeds of Crime

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Attorney-General 
	(1)  what total value of confiscation orders was issued by the Crown Prosecution Service in each of the last five years; and how much was successfully recovered through such orders in each year;
	(2)  if he will publish data on the performance of the (a) Crown Prosecution Service and (b) Serious Fraud Office against its targets for the recovery of the proceeds of crime and fraud for the last five years.

Edward Garnier: Statistics showing the value of confiscation orders obtained by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) are set out in the following table. Orders can be varied via a number of mechanisms, including (but not limited to) appeal; applications to decrease the order when the assets realised less than expected at confiscation; and applications to increase when the value of the assets are higher than known or expected at confiscation. To provide a more accurate picture, the current value of the orders obtained is provided in addition to the original order amount.
	Some orders may take a significant time to enforce. Generally the larger the order, the more complex will be the enforcement process. As a result, amounts realised in any one year will relate to orders made in that year and previous years.
	
		
			   £/Number 
			 2007-08   
			 CPS Sum of original CO value (£) 119,319,627.06 
			  Sum of current CO value (£) 96,086,617.92 
			  Number of orders 4,160 
			 RCPO (pre-merge on 1 January 2010) Sum of original CO value (£) 58,612,304.77 
			  Sum of current CO value (£) 56,816,472.63 
			  Number of orders 484 
			  Total sum of original CO value (£) 177,931,931.83 
			  Total sum of current CO value (£) 152,903,090.55 
			  Total number of orders 4,644 
			    
			 2008-09   
			 CPS Sum of original CO value (£) 173,321,372.03 
			  Sum of current CO value (£) 161,111,966.43 
			  Number of orders 4,987 
			 RCPO (pre-merge on 1 January 2010) Sum of original CO value (£) 46,325,227.37 
			  Sum of current CO value (£) 43,158,122.03 
			  Number of orders 500 
			  Total sum of original CO value (£) 219,646,599.40 
			  Total sum of current CO value (£) 204,270,088.46 
			  Total number of orders 5,487 
			    
			 2009-10   
			 CPS Sum of original CO value (£) 125,203,019.38 
			  Sum of current CO value (£) 116,737,630.73 
			  Number of orders 4,955 
			 RCPO (pre-merge on 1 January 2010) Sum of original CO value (£) 24,474,025.69 
			  Sum of current CO value (£) 21,916,210.70 
			  Number of orders 290 
			  Total sum of original CO value (£) 149,677,045.07 
			  Total sum of current CO value (£) 138,653,841.43 
			  Total number of orders 5,245 
			    
			 2010-11   
			 CPS (now merged with RCPO) Sum of original CO value (£) 401,201,645.87 
			  Sum of current CO value (£) 242,886,812.36 
			  Number of orders 5,961 
			    
			 2011-12   
			 CPS (now merged with RCPO) Sum of original CO value (£) 162,502,064.16 
			  Sum of current CO value (£) 161,807,913.51 
			  Number of orders 5,709 
		
	
	
		
			 2007-12 (complete five-year period)   
			 CPS Sum of original CO value (£) 981,547,728.50 
			  Sum of current CO value (£) 778,630,940.95 
			  Number of orders 25,772

Procurement

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Attorney-General what the total (a) number and (b) value of contracts issued by (i) his Department and (ii) bodies for which he is responsible which were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Edward Garnier: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) records indicate that a total of four contracts were awarded during the financial year 2011-12. Of the four, three were to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with a total value of £127,425. There were a further 14 contracts awarded through Government Procurement Service, or other Government Department framework suppliers. Data on whether these suppliers are classified as SMEs are not held by the CPS.
	During 2011-12 the SFO awarded a total of 33 contracts to SMEs, amounting to a total value of £52,058 using the joint CPS and SFO Electronic Presentation of Evidence framework agreement.
	In line with Government procurement policy, the SFO uses framework agreements whenever possible. No other contracts with a value over £10,000 were awarded to SMEs in that year. Other than for the Presentation of Evidence framework agreement, contracts below £10,000 are not recorded centrally or categorised by the size of the organisation to which they are awarded.
	Most of the external expenditure made by The Treasury Solicitor's Department, Attorney-General's Office and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate is for legal services provided by barristers and solicitors. These are generally self-employed individuals or enterprises which may be classified as SMEs. However, Tsol does not centrally record details of the number and value of contracts issued to SMEs and could determine this only through a full manual examination of all of their records which would incur a disproportionate cost.

WALES

Public Expenditure

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on reassessment of the Holtham estimates of Welsh Government underfunding under the Barnett formula;
	(2)  what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on reassessment of the Holtham estimates of Welsh Government underfunding under the Barnett formula;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the Holtham Commission estimates of Welsh Government underfunding under the Barnett formula.

Cheryl Gillan: Discussions are ongoing between the Government and the Welsh Government on all aspects of the proposals in the Holtham reports.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Atos

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what the total monetary value is of each contract between his Department and Atos;
	(2)  when each contract between his Department and Atos was most recently (a) agreed, (b) renewed and (c) extended.

Owen Paterson: My Department does not have any contracts with Atos.

Recruitment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2012, Official Report, column 489W, on recruitment, to what extent his Department and its non-departmental public bodies used name-blank CVs or the blind sift function on the Civil Service Resourcing e-recruitment system to recruit staff in the last year.

Owen Paterson: My Department does not, at present, use the Civil Service Resourcing e-recruitment system to recruit staff. Following the devolution of policing and justice functions to the NI Assembly in April 2010, the Northern Ireland Office adopted Ministry of Justice terms and conditions and we are currently examining the scope to access the e-recruitment system via MOJ.
	My Department has two non-departmental public bodies—the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland. Both public bodies are independent of Government and the right hon. Gentleman may wish to write to the Commissions directly on these matters.

SCOTLAND

Atos

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the total monetary value is of each contract between his Department and Atos.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not have any contracts with Atos.

Procurement

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the total (a) number and (b) value of contracts issued by his Department which were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises was in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Mundell: Other than minor or bespoke purchases, the Scotland Office does not undertake direct procurement or tendering projects. It utilises existing service contracts between suppliers and the Scottish Government or the Ministry of Justice. Since May 2010, only one contract has been issued directly by the Scotland Office, and this was issued to the Royal Mail for the purposes of the Scottish parliamentary elections.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Members: Participation in Proceedings

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Leader of the House whether he plans to bring forward proposals to alter the requirements for those elected to the House to take part in its proceedings.

George Young: I have no plans to do so.

Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Leader of the House if he will make it his policy that the Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund should (a) publicly support the UK Stewardship Code, (b) adhere to the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment, (c) demonstrate leadership in the implementation of the principles and (d) publish online the contents of the Responsible Investment part of the Statement of Investment Principles and for Responsible Investment information on implementation in practice; and if he will make a statement.

George Young: I do not have responsibility for the investment decisions made by the PCPF. The hon. Lady's question is better directed to the trustees.

Recruitment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Leader of the House pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2012, Official Report, column 489W, on recruitment, to what extent his Office used name-blank CVs or the blind sift function on the Civil Service Resourcing e-recruitment system to recruit staff in the last year.

George Young: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer of the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude).

Times of Sittings

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Leader of the House if he will bring forward proposals to establish regular earlier sitting times for the last day before each of the main recesses.

George Young: The Government brings forward any proposals to change sitting hours on the last day before a recess in the light of the particular circumstances and the day of the week in question, and after appropriate consultation. The final decision is for the House itself. The Government has no plans to bring forward proposals to change these arrangements, and I do not believe that it would be appropriate to do so in advance of any decisions of the House arising from the forthcoming Report from the Procedure Committee arising from its inquiry into Sittings of the House and the Parliamentary Calendar.

PRIME MINISTER

10 Downing Street: Staff

Jack Dromey: To ask the Prime Minister how many staff in 10 Downing street work on correspondence.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the departmental structure chart for the Cabinet Office which includes 10 Downing street. This is available at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/cabinet-office-organograms

House of Commons: Security

David Winnick: To ask the Prime Minister how many security personnel accompany him when he is in those parts of the House of Commons building restricted to hon. Members, Officers of the House and other authorised personnel; and if he will make a statement.

David Cameron: It has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on security matters.

International Assistance

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects that the report by the UN Committee on the post-2015 Millennium Development Goals will be published.

David Cameron: I am delighted to have been asked to co-chair the UN High Level Panel on a framework to replace the Millennium Development Goals. This is an important opportunity to help shape the approach to international development for a generation. This is a process led by the UN Secretary General, and the timeline for it has not yet been agreed.

Members: Correspondence

Jack Dromey: To ask the Prime Minister when he plans to respond to the multiple pieces of correspondence regarding private rents sent to him by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Erdington.

David Cameron: A response to the hon. Member's letters has been sent.

Shale Gas: Exploration

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Prime Minister what representatives of the shale gas industry attended the recent 10 Downing street meeting to discuss shale gas potential in the UK.

David Cameron: Details of my meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis. Details can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/content/ministers-transparency-publications

Saudi Arabia

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Prime Minister whether he has any plans to visit Saudi Arabia.

David Cameron: I visited Saudi Arabia in January 2012 as part of the Government's ongoing efforts to strengthen relations with strategic partners around the world. For security reasons, my engagements are announced as and when appropriate.

South East Asia

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 22 May 2012, Official Report, column 535W, on South East Asia, which of those companies and delegates listed, visited (a) both Indonesia and Malaysia, (b) Malaysia only and (c) Indonesia only.

David Cameron: I have placed copies in the Library of the House.

TRANSPORT

Aviation

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the extent of spare capacity at (a) Stansted, (b) Luton, (c) Gatwick and (d) Birmingham airport.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport’s “UK Aviation Forecasts 2011” provide an assessment of how activity at UK airports and the associated CO2 emissions are likely to change in the future, given existing policy commitments.
	The 2011 forecasts made assumptions about both terminal and runway capacities at airports. These are based upon a ‘maximum use’ scenario where no new runways are built in the UK but, where there is no explicit planning prohibition, most airports develop as necessary in the medium term to utilise their current potential runway capacity.
	Details of the capacity assumptions used are available in table 2.6 and forecasts of number of air transport movements for each of these airports are provided in table H3 of the published report, available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/uk-aviation-forecasts-2011

Aviation: Volcanoes

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department is providing support to British residents seeking compensation from airline carriers following disruption arising from Icelandic ash clouds.

Theresa Villiers: The CAA's Passenger Advice and Complaints team (PACT) and previously Air Transport Users Council (AUC) have been providing support to British residents with claims for reimbursement of expenses as a result of the volcanic ash disruption. Compensation itself is not due when flights are cancelled due to volcanic ash as this is a circumstance outside the control of the airline. AUC (at the time) actively took these complaints up with airlines and now PACT continues to do so. At the time of the disruption, AUC also actively contacted airlines to remind them of their obligations under Regulation EC 261/2004 and to ensure airline websites were updated to reflect the correct information about passenger rights.

Aviation: Volcanoes

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many British residents are awaiting compensation from airline carriers relating to disruption arising from Icelandic ash clouds.

Theresa Villiers: We do not have the total figure for British residents. We do, however, have details of complaints where passengers have referred complaints to the CAA. The CAA has nine claims outstanding for reimbursement of expenses.

Biofuels

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many varieties of biofuel are currently being grown in the UK.

Norman Baker: Biofuels are made from a number of different feedstocks including agricultural crops, wastes, residues, ligno-cellulosic and non-food cellulosic materials.
	The RTFO Unit in the Department for Transport administers the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) and produces statistics on the country of origin of feedstocks used for biofuels reported under the RTFO, where supplied in the UK. The latest annual verified data covering the period April 2010 to April 2011 are available at:
	http://assets.dft.gov.uk/statistics/releases/verified-rtfo-biofuel-statistics-2010-11/year-3-verified-report.pdf
	The latest unverified data set covering April 2011 to December 2011 is available at:
	http://assets.dft.gov.uk/statistics/releases/biofuels-statistics-apr-to-dec-2011/year-4-rtfo-report-apr-to-dec-2011.pdf
	The verified data show that currently sugar beet, wheat and oilseed rape are being grown in the UK for biofuel production. The latest unverified data also suggest corn grown in the UK is being used in biofuel supplied in the UK. However, the Government does not hold specific information about the uses which other countries make of crops exported from the UK. It is likely though that where such exports are used for biofuel production these involve the same types of crop as used in biofuel produced from UK crops which is supplied in the UK.
	It is also the case that biogas derived from maize could be used as a transport fuel. However, no biogas made from maize is currently reported under the RTFO as being supplied in the UK.

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations she has received regarding the eligibility of residents of the London borough of Bexley for the Dartford crossing local discount scheme.

Michael Penning: The consultation to amend the charging regime at the Dartford-Thurrock crossing ran from 30 June to 23 September 2011. During the consultation, 25 responses made specific mention of the eligibility of residents in the London borough of Bexley. Since September, one further letter promoting extension of the scheme to Bexleyheath has been received.

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress her Department has made on the review of the Dartford crossing local discount scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: On 22 May 2012, I announced changes to Dartford crossing charges, and that the Department for Transport will carry out a full review of the Local Residents’ Discount Scheme to consider how this can be improved. I will be inviting local MPs to a meeting to discuss this shortly.

Driving Offences: Insurance

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will estimate the number of uninsured drivers excluding drivers in London (a) on the most recent date for which figures are available, (b) in 2007 and (c) in 2002.

Michael Penning: The number of uninsured vehicles in Great Britain has fallen from 2 million in 2005 to 1.4 million in 2010 and 1.2 million today. We have no numbers by region so cannot exclude London and figures were not collected for 2002 and 2007.

Driving under Influence

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking to inform drivers as to the dangers of drinking and driving.

Michael Penning: The Department for Transport is currently developing its drink-drive communication plans for 2012-13 and future years. The plan will be subject to the controls on advertising and marketing spend governed by the Efficiency and Reform Group.

Driving under Influence

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road accidents have involved drink-drivers in each of the last five years.

Michael Penning: The information requested is available on the Department's website, from the following link:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/statistics/tables/ras51001

Driving: Licensing

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the financial saving to (a) her Department and (b) driving licence holders of the ending of the requirement to hold a paper counterpart to a driving licence.

Michael Penning: The preliminary estimated annual financial savings achieved by abolishing the paper counterpart are as follows:
	(a) to the Department: a saving of almost £947,000; and
	(b) to driving licence holders: savings of £8.34 million.

Freight

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of (a) domestic and (b) international freight journeys (i) within, (ii) to and (iii) from the UK were by (A) short sea, (B) international shipping, (C) rail and (D) road in each year since 2006. [R]

Michael Penning: Data are available on domestic and international rail freight journeys.
	The number of domestic rail freight journeys is published on the departmental website at:
	http://assets.dft.gov.uk/statistics/tables/tsgb0424.xls
	The number of international rail freight journeys is published on the departmental website at:
	http://assets.dft.gov.uk/statistics/tables/rai0108.xls
	Similar information is not available for the number or proportion of domestic and international freight journeys for road, short sea shipping and international shipping as the data are not collected in a comparable form.
	The Department does however publish information on the amount of domestic freight carried by mode at:
	http://assets.dft.gov.uk/statistics/tables/tsgb0401.xls

Health Insurance

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff working in her Department are entitled to private health care as part of their remuneration package.

Norman Baker: To the best of my knowledge, there are no staff in the Department for Transport who are entitled to private health care as part of their remuneration package.

Highway Code

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the current typical stopping distances in yards were added to the Highway Code; when the distances were last revised; and whether she has any plans to revise them in future.

Michael Penning: The six typical stopping distances first appeared together in the 1969 edition of The Highway Code, although some date from 1946. The stopping distances have not changed since then. They are currently expressed in metres and in feet. However, the current edition of the Code published in 2007 made it clear that
	“The distances shown are a general guide. The distance will depend on your attention (thinking distance), the road surface, the weather conditions and the condition of your vehicle at the time”.
	We currently have no plans to carry out another revision. When we carry out the next revision to the Code we will as usual undertake a consultation on proposed changes to the Code.

Merseyrail

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will commit to funding a fourth track between Roby and Huyton to ensure that four express services can operate each hour between Liverpool and Manchester without reducing local services.

Theresa Villiers: We will be considering funding for Northern Hub interventions in the High Level Output Specification which will be published by the end of July 2012.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 24 May 2012, Official Report, column 784W, on motor vehicles: insurance, and with reference to the answer of 30 April 2012, Official Report, column 1277W, on motor vehicles: excise duties, what assessment her Department has made of the factors which account for the difference between its estimate of the 1.2 million vehicles uninsured and 249,000 unlicensed vehicles.

Michael Penning: We have not made an assessment of the difference between the estimates for uninsured and unlicensed vehicles. Although a vehicle must be insured for the month when it is licensed, the keeping or driving of an uninsured vehicle and the keeping or using of an unlicensed vehicle are separate offences. Insurance policies and vehicle excise duty do not run concurrently; they can expire or be cancelled at different times.
	The police and the DVLA carry out enforcement against insurance and licensing offences.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department has taken to tackle fraudulent insurance claims in the last (a) two and (b) five years.

Michael Penning: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 14 June 2012, Official Report, column 532W.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has had with (a) law firms and (b) insurance companies on (i) uninsured driving, (ii) fraudulent claims and (iii) lowering insurance premiums for law-abiding drivers.

Michael Penning: There have been no recent discussions with law firms.
	Uninsured driving and fraud contribute to the cost of insurance. On 2 May 2012 the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening) hosted a cross-Government summit with the insurance industry on measures to reduce the cost of premiums.
	I would also refer my hon. Friend to my response of 14 June 2012, Official Report, column 532W, on what the Government is doing to tackle uninsured driving, fraud and the cost of insurance.

Motorcycles

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she has taken as part of Ride to Work Day on Monday 18 June to recognise the contribution of motorcycles to reducing commuter congestion.

Michael Penning: The Government recognises and welcomes the contribution of motorcycles in reducing commuter congestion and initiatives such as Ride to Work. Although the Government is neutral on whether or not people should take up motorcycling, we do, however, recognise that it is a valid transport choice and we have gone some way to create better and safer conditions for those who make that choice.
	Local authorities are encouraged to take actions to support motorcyclists such as, providing dedicated parking facilities and allowing them access to bus lanes. I also note with interest that Transport for London have, since January 2012, given motorcyclists permanent access to bus lanes on the majority of the capital's red routes.

Olympic Games 2012

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department has taken in conjunction with airline operators to ensure that disabled air passengers and paralympic athletes receive suitable assistance when using UK airports during the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport has been working closely with LOCOG, the Civil Aviation Authority, airports and airlines to ensure that detailed plans are in place for welcoming Paralympic athletes and all passengers with disabilities at airports during the Games. This work, which has been led primarily by the relevant airports, has included reviewing existing processes and facilities, the addition of new facilities and equipment where appropriate, staff training and familiarisation, the provision of additional staff resources where needed, and arranging or participating in trial events.

Olympic Games 2012

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures are in place to prevent fraudulent misuse or transfer of Games Travelcards for the London 2012 Olympics.

Theresa Villiers: Spectators with a ticket for a London 2012 sports event or ceremony in or around London will receive a free Games Travelcard.
	This is valid for use on public transport in London zones 1-9 for the day of their chosen event and can be used on London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway, buses, trams and most National Rail services.
	Transport for London (TfL) will be conducting revenue protection checks at key locations across the transport network as normal during the period of the Games. Passengers travelling using a Games Travelcard will need to produce their Games accreditation on request otherwise a penalty fare will be issued and the Games Travelcard withdrawn.

Olympic Games 2012

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether spectators with tickets for more than one Olympic or Paralympic event being held on the same day will be issued with a separate Games Travelcard for each event.

Theresa Villiers: All Olympic Spectator Tickets for venues in London, and close to London, Eton Dorney, Lee Valley White Water Centre or Hadleigh Farm include a zones 1-9 one day travelcard for spectators to use on the day of the event.
	Arrangements for the purchase and supply of Travelcards are between Transport for London (TfL) and The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG). The Department for Transport is not party to the arrangements between TfL and LOCOG in this area.
	Giving away or selling Games Travelcards is in contravention of TfL's conditions of carriage, and section 10 of the LOCOG Ticket Sales Terms and Conditions which relates to Travelcards supplied with Games tickets.

Parking

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers local residents have to appeal against the imposition of parking restrictions by their local authority.

Norman Baker: The procedures for putting in place permanent traffic regulation orders to enforce parking restrictions by local authorities are contained in The Local Authorities' Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996. These regulations require that the police and other interested parties (for example, local residents) be consulted, a notice of intention to make the order be published in a local press, and 21 days allowed for anyone to make objections.
	The procedures for putting in place temporary traffic regulation orders are prescribed in The Road Traffic (Temporary Restrictions) Procedure Regulations 1992. Although in this case there is no requirement for local authorities to invite objections, the proposed order must be advertised in advance. The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 provides for a person to make an application to the High Court within 6 weeks of the order being made if they have concerns over the process that was followed.

Passenger Transport Executives

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to increase the influence that passenger transport executives have over the area surrounding their geographic remit.

Theresa Villiers: The Department is investigating a variety of legislative options to potentially increase the influence of PTEs. However, any such change would need to be accompanied by mechanisms to ensure robust accountability.

Procurement

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total (a) number and (b) value of contracts issued by (i) her Department and (ii) bodies for which she is responsible which were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Norman Baker: DfT's spend with SMEs has been reported in the Cabinet Office report, ‘Making Government business more accessible to SMEs—One Year On’:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/making-government-business-more-accessible-smes-one-year

Publications

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many publications have been issued by her Department since May 2010.

Norman Baker: From 1 May 2010, the Department for Transport has issued 1,945 new publications, 1,814 of which were published online.
	The information provided relates to the central Department and its seven Executive Agencies.

Railway Network

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department made of the potential wider economic benefits to places along the West Coast Mainline of enhancement works to the railway infrastructure undertaken in Rugby since 1998 at the time the works were proposed; and what assessment it has since made of the actual wider economic benefits achieved.

Theresa Villiers: The strategy for modernisation of the West Coast Main Line was appraised by the Strategic Rail Authority at route wide level and is reported in ‘The Modernisation of the West Coast Main Line’, published by the National Audit Office in 2006.

Railway Network

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost has been of enhancement works to the railway infrastructure undertaken in Rugby since 1998; and what assessment her Department has made of the cost-benefit ratio of these works.

Theresa Villiers: The station and track layout in use today cost £190 million. The strategy for modernisation of the West Coast Main Line was appraised by the Strategic Rail Authority at route-wide level and is reported in ‘The Modernisation of the West Coast Main Line’, published by the National Audit Office in 2006. The Department has not conducted any subsequent appraisal of the Rugby project.

Railway Network

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will assess the effectiveness of enhancement works to the railway infrastructure undertaken in Rugby in relation to (a) higher speeds, (b) new station facilities, (c) renewed flyover, (d) increased passenger capacity on the West Coast Mainline, (e) increased freight capacity on the West Coast Mainline and (f) other enhancements since 1998.

Theresa Villiers: The Department has no plans to undertake a specific appraisal of the £190 million Rugby project. However, the works played a key role in unlocking capacity on the West Coast Main Line that has supported the very encouraging growth in rail demand seen in recent years. The strategy for modernisation of the West Coast Main Line was appraised by the Strategic Rail Authority at route-wide level and is reported in ‘The Modernisation of the West Coast Main Line’, published by the National Audit Office in 2006.

Railways: Tickets

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations (a) she, (b) her predecessor and (c) Ministers in her Department have received from (i) ATOC and (ii) train operating companies on the practice of splitting tickets by passengers to obtain cheaper fares.

Theresa Villiers: We are considering the issue of split ticketing as part of our review of fares and ticketing. We have received commercially confidential representations from ATOC and a train operating company.

Recruitment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2012, Official Report, column 489W, on recruitment, to what extent her Department and its non-departmental public bodies and Executive agencies used name-blank CVs or the blind sift function on the civil service resourcing e-recruitment system to recruit staff in the last year.

Norman Baker: The Department, its non-departmental public bodies and Executive agencies currently do not use the civil service resourcing e-recruitment system to recruit staff. The central Department and its Executive agencies currently use an e-recruitment system operated by the DFT shared service centre and this includes blind sift functionality which is used for the majority, but not all, of the recruitment campaigns run in this system.

Rolling Stock: Procurement

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when her Department plans to complete the commercial arrangements for the delivery of the Intercity Express Programme.

Theresa Villiers: Negotiations on the Intercity Express Programme are now in their final stages with financial close targeted to be achieved during the summer.

Shipping

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average age is of a vessel in the UK flagged fleet; and what information her Department holds on the average age of vessels registered under other flags. [R]

Michael Penning: As of 31 May 2012 the average age of vessels on the UK merchant fleet is 19.94 years. This information is taken from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's statistics.
	The UK Ship Register (UKSR) receives market information from Clarkson World Fleet Monitor which shows the average age of other flags. The average age of the other flags in the top 20, by gross tons, is shown as follows:
	
		
			 Flag Average age 
			 Panama 17.1 
			 Liberia 9.8 
			 Marshall Islands 8.0 
			 Hong Kong 9.5 
			 Singapore 9.3 
			 Bahamas 14.3 
			 Malta 12.6 
			 Greece 23.4 
			 China PR 21.6 
			 Cyprus 11.5 
			 Italy 22.5 
			 Germany 23.4 
			 Japan 17.9 
			 Isle of Man 9.8 
			 Norway (International) 14.9 
			 United States 27.9 
			 Denmark (International) 15.9 
			 Bermuda 13.2 
			 South Korea 22.7

Shipping: Pollution

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what recent assessment she has made of the effect on (a) employment and (b) the availability of (i) low sulphur fuels and (ii) sulphur dioxide abatement technology in the UK maritime sector of the implementation of the revised Annex IV of the International Maritime Organisation's Pollution Convention; [R]
	(2)  how many vessels in the UK flagged fleet are fitted with sulphur dioxide abatement technology; and what research her Department has undertaken of international trends in the application of this technology to vessels registered under other flags; [R]
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the average cost of fitting (a) passenger and (b) freight ships with sulphur dioxide abatement technology; [R]
	(4)  what her policy is on the use of (a) open and (b) closed loop sulphur dioxide abatement technology in order to comply with Annex IV of the International Maritime Organisation's Pollution Convention. [R]

Michael Penning: The Department will be producing a detailed impact assessment to accompany the domestic legislation implementing the sulphur provisions of the revised Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (commonly known as the MARPOL Convention) as reflected in the EU “amending Directive on Sulphur Content of Marine Fuels”, negotiation of which is nearing its conclusion. The impact assessment will address all costs and benefits associated with the implementation of the provisions, including those concerning the installation and use of abatement technology such as exhaust gas cleaning systems.
	As the Transport Committee recognised in paragraph 32 of its report on “Sulphur emissions by ships”, published in March of this year, the requirements of the revised MARPOL Annex VI have been known to industry for a number of years. The industry has had time to prepare itself for the changes which stem from the revised MARPOL Annex VI and the Department is aware that the industry has been considering the costs and practicability of such options as the use of low sulphur fuel oil, the use of alternative fuel and the installation of abatement technology.
	That being the case, the Department has not, at this stage in the process, made its own assessment of the effect on employment, the availability of low sulphur fuels, the availability of sulphur dioxide abatement technology in the UK maritime sector or the cost of fitting sulphur dioxide abatement technology to ships. The Department does not hold figures for the number of vessels in the UK flagged fleet which are fitted with sulphur dioxide abatement technology, and has not commissioned research into the application of this technology to vessels registered under other flags. The Department does consider that both open and closed loop exhaust gas cleaning systems are capable of meeting the requirements of the revised MARPOL Annex VI.

Standards

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will take steps to manage the performance of her Department's officials by introducing a system of ranking.

Norman Baker: Performance assessment for staff in the Senior Civil Service (SCS) already includes a system of ranking. The central department is introducing a new performance management system this year which will assess the performance of all staff against their peers. In the Highways Agency around 300 senior staff below the SCS already have their contribution reviewed on a relative assessment basis.
	The Department's other agencies do not have ranking as part of their annual assessment.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many trade union representatives in (a) her Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies had (i) part-time; and (ii) full-time paid facility time arrangements in 2011-12;
	(2)  how many days were utilised for paid facility time by each trade union representative in (a) her Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies in 2011-12; and at what cost to the public purse;
	(3)  how many days were utilised for paid facility time by each trade union representative in (a) her Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies for trade union (i) duties and (ii) activities in 2011-12;
	(4)  if she will place in the Library copies of the facility time agreements between trade unions and (a) her Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies.

Norman Baker: The information requested is provided in the table below.
	
		
			 2011 -12 Number of full-time TUS reps Number of part-time TUS reps Number of days allocated facility time Total cost £ 
			 DFT(c) 3 15 916 179,247 
			 DVLA 8 45 3,018 231,121 
			 DSA 4 71 1,605 223,000 
			 GCDA 0 6 80 10,717 
			 HA 2 88 1,619 209,797 
			 MCA 0 53 952 102,000 
			 VCA 0 7 12 1,600 
			 VOSA 3 31 1,507 249,590 
			 NDPBs 0 0 0 0 
			 Totals 20 316 9,709 1,207,072 
		
	
	The Department's and the Agencies' Staff Handbooks set out provisions for agreed facility time for officially recognised trade unions. The Department has no plans to place the Staff Handbooks in the Library of the House.
	Regarding non-departmental public bodies, there is no facility time agreement in place.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Human Rights: Religion

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what recent submissions she has made to the European Court of Human Rights on the right of people in the UK to wear a religious cross; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: On 14 October 2011 the UK Government submitted to the Court:
	(i) its written observations on the admissibility and merits of two applications made to the Court in 2010 by Nadia Eweida and Shirley Chaplin regarding their right to wear a cross or Crucifix visibly while at work;
	(ii) comments on various relevant submissions that had been made to the Court by third parties.
	On 6 March 2012 the UK submitted further written observations on supplementary submissions that had subsequently been made by the applicants.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Metal Theft

Roger Godsiff: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what the cost was of metal theft from Church of England property in (a) Birmingham, Hall Green constituency and (b) Birmingham metropolitan area in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011.

Tony Baldry: No specific figures are available for the constituency of Birmingham Hall Green.
	The following table shows figures for the number of metal thefts from churches in the geographic areas covered by the Diocese of Birmingham and the Birmingham Metropolitan Area, and the costs of those thefts. National figures are included for comparison.
	
		
			  2010 2011 2012 to date 
			  Claims Cost (£) Claims Cost (£) Claims Cost (£) 
			 Birmingham Diocese 39 85,311 71 122,947 22 47,658 
			 Birmingham Metropolitan Area 61 112,062 86 157,582 23 52,658 
			 UK Anglican Churches 1,769 2,946,351 2,621 4,578,065 490 866,884

DEFENCE

Aircraft Carriers

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the projected cost was of installing catapult and arrestor gear to two aircraft carriers in (a) October 2010, (b) July 2011 and (c) January 2012.

Peter Luff: We did not develop cost estimates for the conversion of two carriers, as the Strategic Defence and Security Review required the conversion of only one, with a decision on the second being taken at the 2015 SDSR.
	Our cost estimates for the conversion of one carrier were £920 million, in outturn prices, in October 2010. This estimate had been revised to around £950 million by July 2011. By January 2012 our estimates had increased to around £2 billion and reflected our much greater understanding of the implications and requirements of conversion.

Aircraft Carriers

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much his Department has spent on commencement of the delivery of the carrier programme (a) in total and (b) in each category of cost;
	(2)  how much his Department has spent on the aircraft carrier programme (a) in total and (b) in each category of cost since May 2010.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence has spent £2,450 million to the end of April 2012 on the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carrier programme. Of this, £111 million was for Assessment Phase work, £175 million for Demonstration Phase and £2,164 million on the Manufacturing Phase. Over the period May 2010 to end April 2012, we spent £1,262 million, all of which was Manufacturing Phase expenditure. During this period, we also committed up to £39 million on our investigations into conversion, which is accounted for separately.

Aircraft Carriers

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence of what military factors on the costs of the carrier programme he took account during the development of the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Peter Luff: During the Strategic Defence and Security Review, the Ministry of Defence made its assessment of the different options for the carrier programme based on the best estimates available of all the relevant factors—military, financial and industrial—associated with each. The proposal to fit a Queen Elizabeth Class Carrier with catapults and arrestor gear to enable the operation of the carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter was then subjected to a detailed study to investigate the technical feasibility, costs and timescales. As a result of this work it has become clear that an operational carrier strike capability could not be delivered until late 2023 at the earliest, and we will therefore pursue the STOVL variant. This will mean that we can start flying jets off the Queen Elizabeth in 2018, earlier than would otherwise have been possible, and at a price we can afford.

Armed Forces

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to encourage recognition of the contribution of UK armed forces.

Andrew Robathan: The Government recognises the need to ensure that our armed forces, veterans and their families have the support they need and receive the recognition they deserve. The vast majority of people in this country view our armed forces with great pride, as illustrated by the excellent levels of public attendance at ‘Welcome Home’ parades and the positive public response to our servicemen and women, most recently displayed as a result of the armed forces contribution to the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
	We shall once again celebrate Armed Forces Day on 30 June 2012, when the national celebrations have their focus in the city of Plymouth. This highly successful annual event is designed to boost public support and appreciation of all those who serve or have served in the armed forces. In addition to this, as part of the armed forces covenant, more than 50 communities have signed their own community covenants. This statement of mutual support between a civilian community and its armed forces is designed to nurture understanding and awareness of issues affecting the armed forces community.

Armed Forces: Discrimination

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he has put in place to prevent discrimination against the armed forces in the provision of goods and services.

Andrew Robathan: The Armed Forces Covenant sets out the principles that those who serve in the armed forces, whether regular or reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared with other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services, and that special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most, such as the injured and the bereaved.
	The interim armed forces covenant annual report was published at the end of 2011, and was written in conjunction with our key partner charities, the Families Federations, other Government Departments and the devolved Administrations, all of whom are members of the Covenant Reference Group. It highlighted progress across a range of different areas and identified work still to be done.
	A recent measure to combat discrimination has seen the announcement by the Ministry of Defence and Royal Mail of a technical solution for those serving overseas. In addition to improving access to a range of online services including buying goods online and making it easier to access Government online services, this will assist credit reference agencies with their assessments and armed forces personnel serving overseas with maintaining a UK credit history recognised by financial service providers and in turn improve access to financial products.
	We will continue to raise awareness of the role of the armed forces in society, which will also help to reduce discrimination.

Armed Forces: Discrimination

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what measures he has put in place to monitor discrimination against the armed forces, veterans and their families;
	(2)  what measures he has put in place to centrally record discrimination against service people as defined under the provisions of the Armed Forces Act 2011;
	(3)  what mechanisms he has put in place for service families to record incidences of discrimination with his Department.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 14 June 2012
	The Armed Forces Covenant sets out the principles that those who serve in the armed forces, whether regular or reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens, and that special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most, such as the injured and the bereaved.
	Any discrimination against members of the armed forces community is to be abhorred, and we will continue to be alert to any cases which are brought to our attention.
	When discrimination is experienced, the chain of command will work closely with the civil police, or other bodies as appropriate to address the problem.

Armed Forces: Redundancy

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons his Department has not made it its policy to inform hon. Members of redundancies at Ministry of Defence establishments within their constituencies; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: The selection of an individual for redundancy does not imply that the post they occupy on the notification date is no longer required. In many instances posts will be refilled as redundees leave. This is because individuals are selected using specific selection criteria; their posts are not selected.
	Service personnel move between posts and locations regularly, and the location at which they will be serving on their exit date may be different from that at which they were notified. Even where units are disestablished, sites may be reused for other purposes (such as the relocation of Army units from Germany) under Defence Transformation. For these reasons, neither the geographical distribution of notices nor the units within which individuals were serving when notified for redundancy provide a valid basis for assumptions about the location of future military posts, or the impact on local economies.

Armed Forces: Training

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what training facilities will close after the implementation of the Defence Technical Training Change Programme; when those facilities will close; and if he will estimate the savings which will accrue from each site closure;
	(2)  when the (a) Army's School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, (b) School of Electronic and Aeronautical Engineering at Arborfield, (c) Marine Engineering School at HMS Sultan and (d) Air Engineering School at RAF Cottesmore will move to RAF Lyneham.

Andrew Robathan: On current planning, Tranche 1 of the Defence Technical Training Change Programme (DTTCP) will result in moves of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) training currently conducted at Arborfield and Bordon to Lyneham in Wiltshire, to free these sites up for disposal from 2015. The disposal receipts from the sale of these sites is subject to commercial pressures and sensitivities, current market forces and further detailed work and is not available at present.
	Subsequent tranches of the DTTCP plan to move the remaining Defence Technical Training (DTT) schools, including the Royal Naval School of Marine Engineering at HMS Sultan and the Air Engineering School at RAF Cosford, to Lyneham. The relocation of DTT schools would not of itself result in the closure of these sites. The subsequent tranches of the DTTCP will be subject to further detailed work and therefore the proposed dates of their respective relocations to Lyneham are not yet available.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the BvS 10 Viking vehicles used in Afghanistan will be re-built; and what the cost to the public purse will be.

Peter Luff: Having been deployed successfully in Afghanistan, Viking vehicles need to be regenerated for return to the core vehicle fleet in readiness for future contingent operations. It remains our intention for the Royal Marines to be equipped with an amphibious protected mobility capability as set out in the strategic defence and security review. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) plans to review uncommitted projects, such as the Viking Regeneration Programme, regularly to decide when it is necessary to commit funding. Those deemed a priority will benefit from the £8 billion of headroom that is available in the equipment budget over the next 10 years following the completion of the latest planning round.
	The cost of the programme will be confirmed at the Main Investment Decision Point. The MOD does not publish the planned costs of programmes before this point, as their disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

Arms Trade: Exports

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has received through the commercial export levy in each of the last 10 years.

Gerald Howarth: Available records show that commercial exploitation levy (CEL) income is as detailed in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year Amount (£ million) 
			 2005-06 14.5 
			 2006-07 16 
			 2007-08 12.5 
			 2008-09 22 
			 2009-10 34.5 
			 2010-11 15 
			 2011-12 18.5 
		
	
	Details prior to 2005 are not held centrally and are therefore unavailable.

Atos

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the total monetary value is of each contract between his Department and Atos;
	(2)  when each contract between his Department and Atos was most recently (a) agreed, (b) renewed and (c) extended.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence currently has four contracts with Atos, the details for which are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Contract No. Contract purpose Total value (£000) Date contract agreed Renewal date Extension date 
			 ACT-03461 Computer Software Training 6,636 21 April 2009 None planned None planned 
			 CTLBC-10 Provision of Occupational Health for Civilian Personnel 4,143 3 June 2008 None planned None planned 
			 FTS3-CBJPT0005 Technical Assistance for Merlin Engine 1,098 1 April 2012 None planned None planned 
			 FTS3-FSM/057 Information Knowledge Management Evaluation 253 19 March 2012 None planned None planned

Consultants

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was to his Department of the use of external consultants in each of the last two years.

Andrew Robathan: In financial year (FY) 2010-11 the Ministry of Defence (MOD) spent £26 million on consultancy contracts (as defined by the Office for Government Commerce), including MOD's trading fund agencies.
	The final out-turn on (FY) 2011-12 external consultancy will not be available until July 2012.
	We have made significant savings in external assistance over the past decade (from £404 million in 2001-02 to £26 million 2010-11). The following table provides expenditure information for the previous six financial years:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2005-06 261 
			 2006-07 129 
			 2007-08 120 
			 2008-09 106 
			 2009-10 79 
			 2010-11 26 
		
	
	Expenditure on consultancy is now published annually in UK Defence Statistics.

Defence Business Services National Security Vetting

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the target time is for completion of (a) security checks on and (b) developed vetting by the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting of UK citizens who work for private sector personnel employed by defence contractors or companies providing security to defence or nationally important sites.

Andrew Robathan: The key performance targets for Defence Business Services National Security Vetting to complete all forms of routine security check (SC) and developed vetting (DV) cases are 25 calendar days for SC and 95 calendar days for DV cases. These are net of any third party delays.

Defence Business Services National Security Vetting

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there is a backlog of cases at the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting relating to (a) his Department's personnel, (b) other civil servants and (c) private sector personnel.

Andrew Robathan: The current backlog of cases, defined by Defence Business Services National Security Vetting as the difference between current and normal case holding, is shown in the following table. Types of case vary and include complex cases which take longer than usual to clear.
	
		
			   Cases 
			 Counter-terrorist check MOD personnel 550 
			    
			 Security clearance Defence industry 650 
			  Other civil servants 1,000 
			    
			 Developed vetting MOD personnel 300 
			  Defence industry 100 
			  Other civil servants 10 
		
	
	Ministry of Defence (MOD) personnel are defined as MOD civil servants and armed forces personnel. Private sector personnel are contractor cases for those working in the Defence industry. The figures for other civil servants are those for repayment work carried out for DBS National Security Vetting, being a wide range of Government customer organisations.

Defence Equipment: Scotland

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) 12 ton mine protected vehicles, (b) BR90s, (c) amphibious bridging and ferry equipment and (d) concrete mixers of each equipment type are permanently based at each location in Scotland.

Peter Luff: No equipment of the types listed are permanently based in Scotland at this time. The UK's Defence footprint is organised, resourced and managed on a UK-wide basis to meet operational needs.

Defence: Industry

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the Strategic Defence and Security Review on the number of people employed in the defence industry.

Peter Luff: holding answer 14 June 2012
	The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not collect information on the number of people employed in the defence industry. The last available official estimates published in UK Defence Statistics 2009 were that 300,000 full-time jobs in the UK were supported by MOD expenditure and defence exports.
	The MOD continues to spend a significant amount on procuring equipment and support for the UK armed forces to deliver Future Force 2020. In 2009-10 MOD spent over £20 billion with UK industry and we plan to spend around £160 billion over the next 10 years on the MOD's equipment and support requirements, a substantial proportion of which will be with UK-based suppliers.

Defence: Procurement

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  which of his Department's programmes have been delayed between July 2011 and May 2012; when each programme has been delayed (a) from and (b) until; and what the total projected saving is for each programme;
	(2)  which of his Department's programmes have been delayed since May 2010; and what the total projected saving is;
	(3)  which of his Department's programmes have been delayed since May 2010; when each programme has been delayed (a) from and (b) until; and what the total projected saving is for each programme.

Peter Luff: The information requested will take time to collate and I will write to the hon. Member when the data are available.

Harrier Aircraft

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the recent sale of Harrier fighter aircraft led to a loss to his Department; and how much was any such loss.

Peter Luff: holding answer 13 June 2012
	The sale of Harrier assets to the US Government was for US$180 million (around £110 million); this figure included the sale of 72 Harrier airframes, spares and associated support equipment. Moreover, when the value of the sale is added to the savings made from retiring the Harrier fleet from service, the total estimated receipts and savings to the Ministry of Defence is around £1 billion.
	The decision to retire the Harrier force early was not taken lightly. Fleet reductions by the previous Government that predated the Strategic Defence and Security Review meant that the Harrier force was not large enough to achieve sustained operations in Afghanistan, and maintain an adequate contingent capability for the unexpected on its own—such as the recent operation in Libya. A combined fleet of Tornado and Harrier would not be cost-effective, since retiring an aircraft type delivers greater savings than running two smaller fleets.

Low Associates

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has received any representations from Low Associates since May 2010.

Andrew Robathan: We have no records of any representations being received from Low Associates since May 2010, but information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Medals: Veterans

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for North Durham of 6 March 2012, Official Report, column 662W, on medals: veterans, what progress has been made on deciding who will (a) lead and (b) sit on the review of the rules governing the award of military medals; what the timescale is for the review of the rules governing the award of military medals; what the terms of reference are for the review of the rules governing the award of military medals; and which individuals will be asked to contribute to the review of the rules governing the award of military medals.

Andrew Robathan: I refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by the Prime Minister on 30 April 2012, Official Report, column 56WS.

Military Aircraft: Training

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on the provision of fast jet training for each training exercise undertaken with (a) Hawker Hunter Aviation, (b) Airborne Tactical Advantage Company and (c) Apache Aviation in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: No funding has been expended with Hawker Hunter Aviation, Airborne Tactical Advantage Company or Apache Aviation on fast jet training in the last five years.

Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Ministry of Defence police officers have been deployed to staff passport desks at British airports since May 2010.

Andrew Robathan: There were 227 Ministry of Defence police officers deployed in support of the UK Border Force passport control at British airports since November 2011.
	The largest number of officers deployed at airports on a single day was 92.

Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at which airports Ministry of Defence police officers have been deployed to staff passport desks since May 2010.

Andrew Robathan: Ministry of Defence police have been deployed, since November 2011, at the following UK airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Liverpool, Doncaster, Glasgow, Newcastle, Southend, Bristol, Stansted, Southampton, Leeds/Bradford, Luton, Edinburgh, East Midlands, Birmingham and Bournemouth, on irregular occasions in support of the UK Border Force.

Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the deployment of Ministry of Defence police officers to staff passport desks at British airports.

Andrew Robathan: The Permanent Secretary has discussed the issue of Ministry of Defence Police support to the UK Border Force on a number of occasions with her counterpart at the Home Department.

Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training Ministry of Defence police officers deployed to staff passport desks at British airports have received.

Andrew Robathan: To cover operation of the EU desks, Border Force Learning and Development (BF L&D) provides a three-day classroom module with pre-course reading and tests during the three days. This is followed up by a period of mentoring prior to that person being deployed. This is known as "Module 1".
	To cover operation of the non-EU desks, trainees must have completed Module 1. BF L&D then provides a four-day classroom module (Module 2) with pre-course reading, some consolidation of the module 1 event and tests within the four days to assess capability and knowledge retention with a required pass mark that delegates must achieve if they are to be deployed.

Patrol Craft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with Turkish Government officials on collaboration on the future production of offshore patrol vessels.

Peter Luff: No specific discussions have been held between Defence Ministers and Turkish Government officials on the future production of offshore patrol vessels.

Pay

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) highest, (b) median, (c) median full-time equivalent and (d) lowest full-time equivalent salary was paid by (i) his Department and (ii) its associated public bodies in (A) 2010-11, (B) 2011-12 and (C) 2012-13.

Andrew Robathan: The information relating to the Ministry of Defence for financial years 2010-11 and 2011-12 is detailed in the following table:
	
		
			 £ 
			  FY 2010-11 FY 2011-12 
			 The highest value paid 252,900 240,833 
			 The median value paid 26,137 27,013 
			 The median full-time equivalent 26,000 26,928 
			 The lowest full-time equivalent 14,644 15,083 
		
	
	The information for financial year 2012-13 is not currently available.
	The above figures do not include associated public bodies, as trading funds have delegated authority over pay.

Pay

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department plans to issue bonuses to its staff in the current financial year.

Andrew Robathan: The question of whether to pay non-consolidated performance awards to staff this year is currently under consideration.

Radar

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where in the UK remote radar heads are located.

Andrew Robathan: Air Defence radar remote radar heads are located at:
	Portreath, Cornwall
	Trimingham, Norfolk
	Staxton Wold, North Yorkshire
	Brizlee Wood, Northumberland
	Buchan, Aberdeenshire
	Benbecula, North Uist

Recruitment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2012, Official Report, column 489W, on recruitment, to what extent his Department and its non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies used name-blank CVs or the blind sift function on the Civil Service Resourcing e-recruitment system to recruit staff in the last year.

Andrew Robathan: Currently no recruitment action has been undertaken in the Ministry of Defence (MOD) or its trading funds using named-blank CVs or the blind sift function on the Civil Service Resourcing e-recruitment system. The blind sift function is due to go live imminently; Departments can select whether to set this as a default or to use it for specific campaigns if desired. The MOD has opted not to use the blind sift function by default, but recruiters will be able to select this option for specific campaigns, and the MOD may decide in the future to select this as the default option. Senior civil servant recruitment is not currently undertaken using the civil service e-recruitment system and the blind sift application process has not been used.
	Appointments to the small number of MOD non-departmental public bodies are made off-line and not through Civil Service Jobs.

USA: Military Alliances

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which joint working groups, joint working group subgroups and specialised working groups currently operate under the auspices of the 1958 US-UK Mutual Defence Agreement; and how many meetings of each such working group have taken place in each year since 2009.

Peter Luff: There are currently 33 groups operating under the US-UK 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement. The following list provides a breakdown of meetings for the years 2009, 2010 and 2011 in respect of Joint Working Group (JOWOG), Sub-Joint Working Groups and specialized working groups consisting of Exchange of Information by Visit Report (EIVR), Enhanced Collaboration (EC), Trident Warhead Program Group (TWPG) and United States Air Force (USAF) Channel.
	
		
			  2009 2010 2011 
			 Meeting location: US UK US UK US UK 
			 JOWOG       
			 JOWOG 6 19 2 15 4 7 3 
			 JOWOG 9 6 1 4 2 3 3 
			 JOWOG 22 21 7 13 3 2 4 
			 JOWOG 23 10 7 10 3 0 5 
			 JOWOG 28 7 4 8 3 0 5 
			 JOWOG 29 29 10 24 19 6 16 
			 JOWOG 30 3 1 6 2 2 3 
			 JOWOG 31 23 6 12 8 4 3 
			 JOWOG 32 (see sub-JOWOG for breakdown) 26 11 30 19 19 15 
			 JOWOG 34 1 2 1 0 1 2 
			 JOWOG 36 3 0 0 0 5 1 
			 JOWOG 37 24 5 20 4 24 9 
			 JOWOG 39 15 8 7 10 13 6 
			 JOWOG 41 3 1 2 1 1 0 
			 JOWOG 42 2 3 0 4 1 3 
			 JOWOG 43 0 1 3 2 3 3 
			 JOWOG 44 2 2 3 1 1 1 
			        
			 Sub-JOWOG       
			 32 Mat 2 0 11 1 5 3 
			 32 M 1 0 2 0 1 0 
			 32 P 4 2 2 3 3 5 
		
	
	
		
			 32 HDT 13 5 12 8 8 3 
			 32 S 6 4 3 7 2 4 
			        
			 Specialist working groups       
			 EC1 4 0 4 1 0 1 
			 EC2 13 6 20 8 3 5 
			 EC3 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 EC4 2 0 0 0 0 4 
			 EC5 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 EC6 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 EC7 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 EC8 1 0 1 0 0 0 
			 EC9 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 EC10 1 0 2 1 0 0 
			 EC11 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 EC12 2 0 6 3 1 3 
			 EIVR 0 35 16 43 27 36 22 
			 EIVR 48 0 0 3 0 0 1 
			 EIVR 49 1 4 3 3 1 3 
			 EIVR 50 1 0 0 0 1 0 
			 EIVR 52 1 2 3 4 0 0 
			 EIVR 58 2 0 4 0 5 0 
			 EIVR 57 0 2 0 5 0 0 
			 EIVR 62 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			 EIVR 63 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 EIVR X 4 2 3 8 6 6 
			 TWPG 13 5 6 8 12 3 
			 USAF Channel 0 0 0 0 2 11

Veterans: Mental Illness

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many veterans in Denton and Reddish constituency have been diagnosed with mental health problems as a result of active service in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Robathan: We only hold information on the number of veterans in receipt of a pension or compensation under the war pension scheme, or armed forces compensation scheme, for mental health conditions considered attributable to their service.
	As at 31 March 2012, and rounded to the nearest five, there were 10 veterans recorded as having mental health problems and living in Denton and Reddish who were in receipt of a war pension. None are recorded as being in receipt of benefits under the armed forces compensation scheme.

EDUCATION

Academies

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education in how many local authorities the majority of secondary schools are academies.

Michael Gove: The majority of secondary schools are academies in 47 local authorities.

Academies

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools have converted to academy status in each month of 2012.

Michael Gove: There are 1,877 academies open in total across England. 414 opened in 2012 thus far, of which:
	66 opened in January;
	51 in February;
	55 in March;
	141 in April;
	31 in May; and
	70 in June.

University Technical Colleges

Anne-Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent progress his Department has made on the establishment of university technical colleges.

John Hayes: On 29 May 2012, the Government approved 15 new university technical colleges to enter into the pre-opening stage. This means that there are now two open UTCs and 32 preparing to open.
	This Government’s commitment to UTCs grows and grows—initially 12, that was then doubled to 24 and now we are set to exceed this.
	This is how we provide opportunities for young people to train to become the engineers, scientists and technicians of the future.

e-mail

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people have contacted his Department on official business using the Mrs Blurt e-mail account since May 2010.

Tim Loughton: The Department does not have any record of this information.

English Baccalaureate

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of changes in the number of pupils taking science, language, history and geography courses following the introduction of the English Baccalaureate.

Nick Gibb: Independent research commissioned by the Department for Education published in August 2011 suggests that the English Baccalaureate is having an immediate impact returning take-up of core subjects to the heights of 10 to 15 years ago: it indicates increases of 8 percentage points in pupils taking history, 7 percentage points in geography, 9 percentage points in languages and a 12 percentage point increase of those taking triple science.

GCSE: Newton Abbott

Anne-Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what percentage of pupils leaving schools in Newton Abbot constituency achieved five GCSE A* to C grades, including mathematics and English in (a) 2010 and (b) 2011.

Nick Gibb: The information requested can be found in the following table for pupils attending schools in Newton Abbot constituency, Devon local authority, the south-west and England.
	
		
			 Pupils(1) at the end of key stage 4 achieving five or more A*-C grades at GCSE and equivalent including English and mathematics GCSEs(2,3). Years: 2009/10 to 2010/11. Coverage: England, maintained schools (including academies and CTCs) 
			  2009/10 2010/11 
			  Number of pupils at the end of KS4 Percentage gaining 5+ GCSEs at grades A*-C inc English and Maths Number of pupils at the end of KS4 Percentage gaining 5+ GCSEs at grades A*-C inc English and Maths 
			 Newton Abbot(4) 1,029 52.2 954 55.9 
			 Devon(5) 7,730 54.7 7,503 58.4 
			 South-west(5) 56,926 55.4 55,540 57.9 
			 England(6) 575,970 55.3 564,863 58.4 
			 (1) Pupils at the end of key stage 4 in each academic year. Figures do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. (2) From 2009/10 iGCSEs, accredited at time of publication, have been counted as GCSE equivalents and also as English and mathematics GCSEs. (3) Including attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years. (4) Parliamentary constituency figures are based on the postcode of the school. (5) Local authority and region figures are based on the local authority maintaining the school or in the case of CTCs and academies the local authority in which the school is situated. (6) England figures are the sum of all local authority figures. Source: National Pupil Database (final data)

Teachers: Training

Claire Perry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to encourage the best graduates to enter the teaching profession.

Nick Gibb: We are committed to encouraging the best graduates into teaching. We set out the action we will be taking to attract more of the highest achieving graduates into teaching in ‘Training our next generation of outstanding teachers: Implementation plan’, published in November 2011. This includes offering bursaries of up to £20,000 to top graduates who train to teach shortage subject; Institute of Physics teacher training scholarships, and further expansion of the Teach First programme.

Social Services: Children

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the local government funding settlement for 2011-12 and 2012-13, for what reasons he decided to reduce the Revenue Formula Grant needs assessment for Children's Social Care in aggregate; what equality impact assessments were conducted by his Department on that decision; what other analysis was undertaken by his Department (a) before and (b) after the decision; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.
	Relative spending pressures were considered as part of the 2010 spending review and that assessment informed the control totals for the children's social care service block in formula grant for 2011-12 and 2012-13. Equality impact assessments were published by my Department both for the 2011-12 settlement:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1112/LGFR EqIA.pdf
	and the 2012- 13 settlement:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1213/eqiasettles.pdf

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

American Football

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if the Minister for Sport will meet members of the All-Party Group for American Football and representatives of the NFL to help encourage people to take up the sport.

Hugh Robertson: Sport England work with governing bodies of sports to raise participation across the board. I will be happy to arrange for the All-Party Group for American Football and the NFL to meet with them to discuss opportunities for raising the profile of the sport.
	Following the conclusion of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics, I will be happy to consider how I may be of further assistance.

British Sky Broadcasting: News Corporation

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library all (a) e-mails and (b) text messages exchanged between himself and Adam Smith relating to the News Corporation bid for BSkyB between 1 June 2010 and 31 July 2011;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library a copy of any (a) e-mails and (b) text messages between him and Frederic Michel of News Corporation between 1 June 2010 and 31 July 2011.

Jeremy Hunt: All relevant e-mails and text messages relating to the News Corporation bid for BSkyB were contained in the evidence I submitted to the Leveson inquiry and which I have now placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

British Sky Broadcasting: News Corporation

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will place in the Library all (a) e-mails and (b) text messages exchanged between Adam Smith and (i) Frederic Michel of News Corporation and (ii) any other representatives of News Corporation between 1 June 2010 and 31 July 2011.

Jeremy Hunt: Adam Smith and Frederic Michel submitted evidence to the Leveson inquiry, which included all relevant e-mails and text messages. This evidence is available on the inquiry’s website.

British Sky Broadcasting: News Corporation

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what telephone calls between him and James Murdoch took place on 10 November and 15 November 2010; and if he will place in the Library any records made of such telephone calls.

Jeremy Hunt: All records of relevant telephone calls to James Murdoch from my mobile phone were contained in the evidence I submitted to the Leveson inquiry and which I have now placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

British Sky Broadcasting: News Corporation

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether any guidance or instructions were issued on contact between his Department and opponents of the News Corporation bid for BSkyB; and if he will place any such guidance or instructions in the Library.

Jeremy Hunt: All of the Department’s legal and policy advice on all aspects of handling News Corporation’s bid for the remaining shares in BSkyB was included in the evidence submitted to the Leveson inquiry, which I have also placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Broadband

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what progress has been made on the delivery of superfast broadband to (a) Northamptonshire and (b) England.

Edward Vaizey: I have now approved 37 local project plans and nine projects are in procurement. A number of these are now almost ready to begin delivery, including in Northamptonshire. The other projects are preparing for procurement with support from BDUK, which is also finalising details for the broadband delivery framework contract.
	The first 10 super-connected cities are developing detailed proposals for their projects and we recently published guidance for the 27 further cities that will be eligible to bid for the second round of funding from the Urban Broadband Fund.

Conservative Party and Liberal Democrats

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what the (a) job title and (b) pay band was of each official, excluding special advisers, recruited by his Department since May 2010 who was previously employed in any capacity by the (i) Conservative Party or its elected representatives and (ii) Liberal Democrat Party or its elected representatives; and whether their position was advertised publicly;
	(2)  what the (a) job title and (b) pay band was of each official, excluding special advisers, recruited by his Department since May 2010 who previously held an elected position as a member of the (i) Conservative Party and (ii) Liberal Democrat Party; and whether their position was advertised publicly.

John Penrose: All officials are expected to work and behave professionally, regardless of their political sympathies, as laid out in the Civil Service Code, and to collect any such information would require a search of all HR records which would involve disproportionate costs.

Diamond Jubilee 2012

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will discuss with the BBC Trust the standard of the Jubilee Pageant coverage.

Edward Vaizey: I have no plans to do so. Within the framework of its charter and agreement, the BBC is editorially independent. The Government is committed to the BBC's editorial independence and, on this basis, it would be inappropriate for me to interfere in the BBC's editorial matters.

Digital Technology

Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what progress he has made on increasing levels of digital inclusion of those on low incomes;
	(2)  what progress has been made on increasing levels of digital inclusion.

Francis Maude: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The Government is committed to making its services Digital by Default and increasing levels of digital inclusion. Government Digital Service in the Cabinet Office is working to develop departmental strategies for delivering online services, a key tenet of this will focus on provision of assisted digital services and increasing levels of digital inclusion, which according to ONS data has significantly improved over the last year.
	Go ON UK, created by Martha Lane Fox in her role as Government's Digital Champion, is a new partnership with public, private and third sector organisations to help get more people online. A number of initiatives have been launched to assist those with low incomes such as offering deals to provide refurbished computers and low-cost broadband access.

Euro 2012

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with UEFA regarding England’s participation in Euro 2012.

Hugh Robertson: I met the president of UEFA during the Champions League Final in Munich last month. However, discussions over England’s participation in Euro 2012 are conducted through the FA. I speak to, and meet, the chairman and other officials regularly.

Football

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps the Government is taking to fulfil the coalition agreement to support the co-operative ownership of football clubs by supporters; and what account has been taken of the FA’s response to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s report on football governance in that work.

Hugh Robertson: Among the positive proposals, the football authorities have outlined in their response to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee inquiry on football governance is the requirement for clubs to engage with supporters on matters that most concern them. This will be done through the new licensing system and supporter liaison officers among others.
	The new licensing system in particular promises to improve the way that clubs manage their financial affairs better going forward, which we believe will encourage more supporter groups to want to invest in the ownership of their local teams.
	The Department welcomes this move, and wants to see football implement this as soon as possible for the good of the game.
	The Department supported the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s report on football governance, and has asked the committee to review the football authorities’ response before deciding what further action to take.

Gambling: Internet

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what his Department's policy is on the online gaming industry.

John Penrose: The Government are committed to reforming gambling legislation to ensure that remote gambling is regulated at the point of consumption rather than at the point of supply. Overseas-based remote gambling operators that interact with British consumers will be required to be licensed by the Gambling Commission. This intention was announced to Parliament on 14 July 2011.
	We will bring forward proposals for Parliament's consideration as soon as the legislative programme allows.

Local Press

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the contribution of local newspapers to the economy.

Edward Vaizey: No such assessment has been made. This Department does not collect data on the specific contribution local newspapers make to the economy.

Local Press

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans he has to support local newspapers.

Edward Vaizey: The Government recognises the fundamental importance of local media. That is why last year the Department removed local cross-media ownership rules. This has made it easier for local media businesses to offer quality local services which also make commercial sense.
	The Leveson inquiry will of course be making recommendations as part of its remit that will impact this sector.

Local Press

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of people employed in the local newspaper industry.

Edward Vaizey: No estimate has been made. This Department does not collect employment data for the local newspaper industry.

Low Associates

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department has received any representations from Low Associates since May 2010.

John Penrose: This Department has received no representations from Low Associates since May 2010.
	Details of all ministerial and special advisers' meetings with external organisations are published on our website:
	www.transparency.culture.gov.uk

Procurement

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the total (a) number and (b) value of contracts issued by (i) his Department and (ii) bodies for which he is responsible which were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises was in the latest period for which figures are available.

John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) does not currently record the number of contracts issued to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), but we do record the amount spent with them. For the period 2011-12, it was £6.1 million.
	DCMS does not hold this information for its executive agencies or arm’s length bodies. Accordingly, I have asked their chief executives to write directly to the hon. Member with this information.
	A copy of the letters will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Procurement

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what proportion of contracts issued by his Department were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises in 2011-12; and what proportion this represented of the monetary value of contracts awarded by his Department in 2011-12.

John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) does not currently record or collate the information in the way requested. However, DCMS does hold information on an indicative proportion against procurement spend going through small and medium-sized enterprises, which was 26.57% for the requested period.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which regulations his Department repealed between 1 February 2012 and 31 May 2012; and what the anticipated total savings will be from repealing those regulations.

John Penrose: No regulations were repealed by the Department during the requested period.

Tourism: Devon

Anne-Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what information his Department holds on the number of tourists who visited (a) Devon and (b) Newton Abbot constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

John Penrose: This Department does not hold the information in the way it has been requested, but information on the number of overseas tourist visits to UK counties, cities and towns can be found on the VisitBritain website:
	www.visitbritain.org/insightsandstatistics/inboundvisitorstatistics/regions/towns.aspx
	VisitEngland holds information on the number of domestic tourist trips to counties and local authorities:
	www.visitengland.org/insight-statistics/major-tourism-surveys/overnightvisitors/UKTS2010/LA_County_2006_2010.aspx

Tourism: Wind Power

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect of wind turbines on the tourism industry.

John Penrose: This Department has made no such assessment.

Video Games

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what punishment he proposes will be imposed for breaches of the new classification system for video games.

Edward Vaizey: Details of the penalties are set out in Sections 9-14 of the Video Recordings Act 1984. But essentially, they are imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of up to £5,000 for supplying a classified work in breach of its age rating and up to two years imprisonment and/or a larger fine for supplying an unclassified and non-exempt work. Additionally, the operators of the Pan European Game Initiative classification, scheme can impose its own penalties for a range of issues, such as a false declaration of the contents of a game. Details on how the scheme will operate, can be found at the website of the Video Standards Council, or by using the link:
	http://www.videostandards.org.uk

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects a regulatory impact assessment to be published following the publication of the Government's White Paper entitled Putting Victims First: More Effective Responses to Antisocial Behaviour.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 14 June 2012
	We will publish our assessment of the impact of our reforms to improve the response to antisocial behaviour alongside the draft legislation.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Middlesbrough

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of antisocial behaviour orders issued to residents of Middlesbrough local authority.

James Brokenshire: Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) are issued by courts. Data relating to ASBOs are not held below the level of a Criminal Justice System (CJS) area and any order issued by a court in one CJS area may relate to a prohibition in a neighbouring area.
	The latest data available for 2010 show that there were 26 ASBOs issued by all courts in the Cleveland CJS area, which contains Middlesbrough local authority.

Asylum

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will consider granting temporary immigration status to refused asylum seekers who are unable to return to their home countries.

Damian Green: Every asylum claim is carefully considered on its individual merits against the UK's obligations under the Refugee Convention and European Convention on Human Rights. Every applicant whose fundamental human rights would be contravened by returning to their home country is granted appropriate status in the UK. Those who do not qualify are expected to make every effort to return to their country of origin. Where there is a legitimate temporary barrier to return, support is available in cases where the individual would otherwise be destitute until return is possible.

Asylum

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will consider granting temporary immigration status to refused asylum seekers who are effectively stateless because their country of origin will not accept them and, as a result, they are unable to claim Section 4 support.

Damian Green: Asylum seekers who do not qualify for status are expected to return to their country of origin unless there is a legitimate temporary barrier to return, in which case support will be provided until return is possible if the individual would otherwise be destitute.

Chief Police Officers’ Staff Association

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what recent guidance her Department has issued to police authorities on the payment of fees to the Chief Police Officers' Staff Association on behalf of their senior officers;
	(2)  what audit procedures her Department has put in place to account for public money paid by police authorities to the Chief Police Officers' Staff Association;
	(3)  what funding her Department provided to the Chief Police Officers' Staff Association in 2011-12.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not provide funding to the Chief Police Officers’ Staff Association, nor has it released guidance to police authorities on the matter. It is for individual police authorities to decide how they spend and monitor their budgets, subject to existing secondary legislation and guidance on financial matters.

Contracts

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how annual uplifts to resource budgets have been calculated on each of her Department's contracts with private sector providers in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Identity Cards: EU Nationals

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions her Department has held with the European Commission on a mandatory electronic ID system for all EU citizens.

Francis Maude: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The Government is not aware of any proposals for a mandatory electronic ID system for all EU citizens.

Immigrants: Domestic Violence

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence the UK Border Agency requires to accept a claim for leave to remain as a victim of domestic violence.

Damian Green: In order for a claim for indefinite leave to remain as a victim of domestic violence to be considered under part 8 paragraph 289A of the Immigration Rules, the applicant must have been granted entry clearance or leave to remain as a partner in a genuine and subsisting relationship, be in the UK and provide evidence that their relationship was caused to permanently break down before that leave expired as a result of domestic violence.
	Evidence to prove domestic violence has taken place can include court orders, criminal convictions, police cautions and formal documentary evidence such as a letter from Chair of a multi-agency risk assessment conference (MARAC).
	Where formal documentation is not available, other types of evidence such as a medical report from a doctor or hospital, police incident report(s), letter(s) from social service departments and written report(s) from a domestic violence support organisation are accepted in support of a claim.

Immigrants: Tuberculosis

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what monitoring she plans to put in place to ensure the accuracy of pre-migration tuberculosis screening in high-incidence countries.

Damian Green: The current pre-migration tuberculosis screening conducted in 15 pilot countries is delivered to World Health Organisation standards by the International Organisation for Migration on the UK's behalf. Moving ahead with the expansion of the UK pre-migration tuberculosis screening programme to other high incidence countries, the intention is to share screening facilities which are already used, approved and quality assured by our international partners, particularly Australia, Canada and the USA.
	The Health Protection Agency and partner nations are assisting in developing a future model of quality assurance that will ensure the operation of consistent standards.

Immigrants: Tuberculosis

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether tuberculosis treatment will be required of visa applicants from high-incidence countries with latent tuberculosis.

Damian Green: There are no current plans to screen for latent tuberculosis as part of the immigration process as those with latent tuberculosis are not actively infectious, but the NHS will continue to apply the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines in relation to community health screening for new arrivals in the UK.

Immigrants: Tuberculosis

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what exemptions will be granted to the recently implemented pre-entry tuberculosis screening for refugees and asylum seekers for whom delayed visa clearance might raise humanitarian and human rights concerns; and how such exemptions will be granted.

Damian Green: Where people who have been recognised as refugees in a third nation are accepted for resettlement in the UK through the Gateway Programme, all are already screened for tuberculosis by the International Organisation for Migration. It is not possible to apply for asylum in the UK from abroad.

Immigrants: Tuberculosis

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how recent changes in tuberculosis screening requirements will change visa application processes for asylum seekers already in the UK.

Damian Green: There are no changes for asylum seekers already in the UK. They are already afforded free health care in the UK, and there are no NHS treatment charges for the screening and testing of patients for tuberculosis.

Immigration Controls

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans her Department has to raise the minimum income requirements for immigration sponsors.

Damian Green: The Home Secretary announced on 11 June 2012 that the Government will set a minimum income threshold of £18,600 for sponsoring a non- EEA spouse or partner to settle in the UK. There will be a higher threshold for each child sponsored: a £22,400 threshold for a partner with one child, with an additional £2,400 for each further child. The new financial requirement will be introduced on 9 July 2012. Full details are in the Statement of Intent, a copy of which has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Immigration Controls

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate her Department has made of the change in immigration levels arising from an increase in the minimum income requirements for immigration sponsors.

Damian Green: The introduction of the new financial requirement is expected to lead to a reduction in family route visa grants of 13,600 to 17,800 per annum.
	A full impact assessment of the changes to the family route will be published shortly.

Immigration: Gurkhas

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to her contribution of 11 June 2012, Official Report, column 59, on family migration, whether she plans to make any changes to the rules applying to (a) Gurkha soldiers who have retired and their families and (b) serving Gurkha soldiers; and when she expects to announce the changes proposed to the Part 7 rules.

Damian Green: The Government recognises the special contribution of the armed forces as set out in the Armed Forces Covenant.
	Gurkhas who retired after July 1997, and Commonwealth personnel who have retired from the armed forces, will be able to apply for settlement with their spouses, partners and dependant children under the armed forces rules in place before 9 July this year. However the armed forces rules for all serving personnel and their dependants will be reviewed over the coming months to set out how and to what extent the new rules on family migration apply to them. The intention is to bring forward changes to the Immigration Rules by April next year.
	Gurkhas who retired before 1 July 1997 will continue to be able to apply for settlement under the current separate arrangements outside of the Immigration Rules.

Offences Against Children: British Nationals Abroad

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with her European counterparts on establishing joint investigation teams to investigate abuse and exploitation of children overseas.

Lynne Featherstone: The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) engages routinely with EU counterparts as part of joint investigation teams (JITs) on a number of investigations. CEOP involvement in JITs within Europe is an ongoing operational matter; it would therefore not be appropriate to comment further, as this could undermine operational effectiveness.

Police: Private Sector

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has made an assessment of the value for money provided by private sector contractors to the police.

Nick Herbert: It is for chief constables and police authorities/elected police and crime commissioners to decide whether to engage the private sector. They are responsible for ensuring that spending decisions represent value for money for communities.

Road Traffic Offences

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department takes to ensure that all serious road traffic incidents are assessed by accident investigators who are chartered engineers able to determine the causes of the accident.

Nick Herbert: The official investigation of a road traffic incident is an operational matter for the police, who will decide what investigation is most appropriate in the circumstances of the particular incident. They will need to be satisfied as to likely causes, whether or not related to engineering, in order to decide whether there might be grounds for any criminal prosecution.
	Investigation of incidents by others such as insurance companies or law firms on behalf of clients is a matter for their commercial decision.

Serious Organised Crime Agency: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Serious Organised Crime Agency recovered in (a) Denton and Reddish constituency and (b) Greater Manchester in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Brokenshire: The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) does not break down asset recovery data by local or constituency areas.
	Nationwide asset recovery figures for each year since SOCA’s inception are available in its annual reports on its website at:
	http://www.soca.gov.uk

West Midlands Police: Redundancy

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department have had with the chief constable of West Midlands police on the number of expected redundancies from (i) frontline, (ii) middle office and (iii) back office staff.

Nick Herbert: None. Decisions on number of police staff are for individual chief officers and their police authorities/elected police and crime commissioners within the resource available.

JUSTICE

Alternatives to Prison

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent research his Department has undertaken on the use of intensive punitive community disposal for offenders who warrant a significant level of punishment but are better dealt with in the community.

Crispin Blunt: Sentences consultation proposes to develop an intensive community punishment order (ICPO) for offenders who deserve a significant level of punishment, but who are better dealt with in the community to maintain ties with work and family. As set out in the impact assessment, the consultation asks respondents for their views on how the ICPO could work and the MOJ is currently considering the evidence. An assessment will be published when the final proposal is developed.
	The impact assessment that MOJ published alongside the consultation can be found on the following webpage:
	https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/effective-community-services-1

Alternatives to Prison: Reoffenders

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representations he has received on the relationship between intensive alternative to custody pilots and reoffending rates.

Crispin Blunt: The MOJ has previously received several parliamentary questions on the impact of intensive alternative to custody pilots on reoffending rates.
	The MOJ is currently conducting an evaluation of the IAC pilots to compare reoffending rates for IAC offenders with reoffending rates for similar offenders receiving custodial sentences of less than 12 months and similar offenders receiving court orders. The results will be published as soon as they are available.
	In July 2011, the MOJ published a short report with the main findings from a range of research exploring the learning from the Intensive Alternatives to Custody (IAC) pilot schemes, available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/research-and-analysis/moj/2011/intensive-alternatives-custody

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Sentencing

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been sent to prison for breach of an antisocial behaviour injunction in the latest period for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: Data collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice and held on the Court Proceedings Database do not permit proceedings for contempt of court arising from breach of an antisocial behaviour injunction to be separately identified from proceedings for contempt of court arising from other circumstances.

Atos

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the total monetary value is of each contract between his Department and Atos;
	(2)  when each contract between his Department and Atos was most recently (a) agreed, (b) renewed and (c) extended.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice has three contracts with ATOS and these are:
	
		
			 Contract name Start date (agreed) End date Extended date (renewed) Estimated value (£m) 
			 Development Innovation Support Contract (DISC) October 2006 October 2013 November 2011 1,054 
		
	
	
		
			 Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) 1 April 2006 31 December 2011 November 2011 0.3 
			 Occupational health (OH) 1 April 2010 31 March 2012 March 2012 8.9

Charities

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to discuss with ministerial colleagues the extension of Freedom of Information legislation to charities that undertake duties assigned by a public authority.

Kenneth Clarke: The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is subject to post-legislative scrutiny by the Justice Select Committee to see how it is working in practice. The Government's “Open Data Consultation” also sought views on the types of organisations to which an open data policy would apply. A summary of the responses has been published at:
	www.data.gov.uk
	The Government will consider the recommendations of the Justice Committee, including any in relation to the scope of the FOIA, along with the evidence of the open data consultation, before bringing forward any proposals for future policy on Freedom of Information.

Community Orders

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what steps he plans to take to encourage compliance of offenders who are placed on intensive community punishment orders;
	(2)  what guidance he plans to provide to offender managers in the event that they are given powers to impose financial penalties on persons who breach intensive community punishment orders on avoiding any conflict of interest and ensuring consistency of application;
	(3)  what steps he plans to take to ensure that fines handed down by the courts are proportionate and related to the disposable income of the offender.

Crispin Blunt: The Government's consultation paper “Punishment and Reform: Effective Community Sentences” sets out proposals to reform community sentences so that they are tough and credible punishments which are effective in tackling reoffending. The consultation includes proposals to:
	create a new intensive community punishment order;
	create a fixed penalty-type scheme for dealing with compliance with community orders;
	support the effective and proportionate use of fines.
	The consultation closes on 22 June 2012. The Government will set out its intentions on these and other proposals in the consultation in due course after that.

Community Orders

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the average cost of supervising a person on an intensive community order.

Crispin Blunt: In respect of the average cost of supervising a person in an intensive community order, I refer the hon. Member to my answer to her on 14 June 2012, Official Report, column 609W.
	‘The Punishment and Reform: Effective Community Sentences’ consultation proposes to develop an intensive community punishment order for offenders who deserve a significant level of punishment, but who are better dealt with in the community to maintain ties with work and family. As set out in the impact assessment, the consultation asks respondents for their views on how ICPO could work and MOJ will assess the impacts when the final proposal is developed.
	The impact assessment that MOJ published alongside the consultation can be found on the following webpage:
	https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/effective-community-services-1

Crown Prosecution Service

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he made of the annual savings which would be achieved by courts in North Yorkshire and York if Crown Prosecution Service and police staff were co-located in York prior to the opening of Athena House in York; and what estimate he has made of such savings by courts in North Yorkshire in each year since Athena House was opened.

Jonathan Djanogly: All agencies in the Criminal Justice System are always looking to ensure best value for money and are continually evaluating their processes to secure that. It is not possible to say whether the co-location of the CPS and Police at Athena House in York resulted in savings to Her Majesty's Courts & Tribunals Service and no estimate has been made.

Dangerous Driving

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the extent to which sentences given to drivers who (a) injure and (b) kill cyclists as a result of (i) careless and (ii) dangerous driving reflect the effect of such offences on victims and their families;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of sentences given to drivers who (a) injure and (b) kill cyclists as a result of (i) careless and (ii) dangerous driving in deterring offences;

Crispin Blunt: Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the independent judiciary. Judges and magistrates will consider the seriousness of an offence when deciding on a sentence and in doing so are required to consider the culpability of the offender and the harm caused by the offence. They may also consider a victim's personal statement in assessing the level of harm. No specific assessment has been made of sentencing decisions for driving offences where the victim is a cyclist.

Driving Offences: Insurance

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will estimate the proportion of fraudulent insurance claimants who were convicted of making fraudulent insurance claims in (a) 1997, (b) 2002 and (c) 2011.

Crispin Blunt: A person who makes a fraudulent insurance claim is likely to be guilty of fraud by false representation under section 1 of the Fraud Act 2006. Fraud by false representation can be committed in a variety of ways and data collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice do not include all the details of each offence. It is therefore not possible to identify the number of convictions under section 1 which specifically relate to making fraudulent insurance claims.

Legal Aid Scheme

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2012, Official Report, column 86W, on the legal aid scheme, whether additional consideration has been given to engaging in consultation on retention of first-tier tribunals on points of law.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Government is still working on the details relating to legal aid for welfare benefits first-tier tribunal cases involving points of law. We currently have no plans to consult.

Mediation

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of family cases have attended Mediation Information and Assessment Meetings in the last 12 months; and what proportion of such cases involved (a) divorcing couples, (b) drug or alcohol misuse, (c) domestic violence and (d) mental health issues.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice does not collect data on the number of family cases preceded by attendance at a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM). However, a pre-application protocol introduced in April 2011 stipulates that, with limited exceptions, prospective parties to private law proceedings relating to children, or proceedings for a financial remedy, should first attend a MIAM. The court may also adjourn proceedings at any stage to allow mediation to be attempted, and that would usually include as a first step attendance at a MIAM.
	The Legal Services Commission collects information about the number of MIAMs attended where one or both clients are in receipt of public funding. In the 12 months from April 2011 publicly funded couples attended 31,181 MIAMs—an 18% increase on the previous 12 months. It is not possible to identify what proportion this represents of all family cases. In the same period 19,668 clients who attended publicly funded mediation reached a full or partial agreement on their family dispute.
	Data for publicly funded mediation do not include any information on whether clients are divorcing or separating or whether domestic violence, drug or alcohol abuse or mental health issues were present. However, clients are not expected to attend a MIAM where there is an allegation of domestic violence against another party and this has resulted in a police investigation or the issuing of civil proceedings for the protection of any party within the last 12 months.
	It is also the case that clients are not expected to attend a MIAM if there is a risk to the life, liberty or physical safety of the applicant or his or her family or his or her home; or any delay caused by attending a MIAM would cause a risk of significant harm to a child, a significant risk of a miscarriage of justice, unreasonable hardship to the applicant or irretrievable problems in dealing with the dispute.

Mediation

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to regulate private mediators in England and Wales.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice has no plans to regulate privately funded civil or family mediation services in England and Wales.
	The training and accreditation of civil and family mediators in general is undertaken through independent member organisations to which most mediators will hold membership. These organisations are in turn generally affiliated to the Civil Mediation Council (CMC) or Family Mediation Council (FMC) which have a role in relation to monitoring and improving standards. Each operates a Code of Practice with which mediators are expected to comply.
	The Family Justice Review recommended that the Government should closely watch and review the progress of the FMC to assess its effectiveness in maintaining and reinforcing high standards. The FMC should, if necessary, be replaced by an independent regulator. In November 2011 the FMC commissioned Professor John McEldowney to review its role and effectiveness in protecting the public interest in the carrying out of family mediation. The Government will consider carefully any recommendations made by Professor McEldowney and the response of the FMC to these.

Offenders: Isle of Wight

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the name is of each of the 10 offenders with the most recorded convictions (a) with at least one offence on the Isle of Wight and (b) with all offences committed on the Island.

Crispin Blunt: We are unable to give the name of each of the 10 offenders with the most recorded convictions although the Ministry of Justice holds the details of convicted offenders on the MOJ Police National Computer according to the publication guidance.
	The MOJ'S guidance on ‘Publicising sentencing outcomes’ makes clear that the decision to publicise the personal details of convicted offenders is one for local areas to make according to local interest in a particular case or cases. This guidance is available on the MOJ website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/courts/sentencing-outcomes/publishing-sentencing-outcomes-guidance.pdf

Pay

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) highest, (b) median, (c) median full-time equivalent and (d) lowest full-time equivalent salary was paid by (i) his Department and (ii) its associated public bodies in (A) 2010-11, (B) 2011-12 and (C) 2012-13.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice and its agencies employ a range of staff across a number of pay grades and locations each of which affect the level of salary. The information requested is as follows:
	Ministry of Justice (excluding National Offender Management Service)
	(a) 2010-11
	Median salary (FTE): £19,550
	Lowest salary (FTE): £13,894
	Highest salary (FTE): £183,710.
	(b) 2011-12
	Median salary (FTE): £19,404
	Lowest salary (FTE): £13,894
	Highest salary (FTE): £183,710.
	(c) 2012-13
	Ministry of Justice pay levels for 2012-13 have yet to be set with any increases not implemented until August 2012 so FTE salary information cannot be provided.
	National Offender Management Service
	(a) 2010-11
	Median salary (FTE): £24.203
	Lowest salary (FTE): £12,894
	Highest salary (FTE): £150,000.
	(b) 2011-12
	Median salary (FTE): £25,621
	Lowest salary (FTE): £12,894
	Highest salary (FTE): £150,000.
	(c) 2012-13
	Median salary (FTE): £25,915
	Lowest salary (FTE): £12.894
	Highest salary (FTE): £150.000.
	It should be noted that the salary information for the National Offender Management Service provided does not include pay awards which are effective from April 2012 as these are yet to be finalised.
	While the Ministry of Justice sponsors a number of non-departmental public bodies each of these has responsibility for determining its own pay arrangements and the requested information is not held centrally.

Prisoners: Repatriation

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  with which foreign national governments Ministers in his Department have had discussions on the extension and negotiation of prisoner transfer agreements;
	(2)  with which EU member states he has discussed the implementation of the EU framework decision on the transfer of prisoners.

Crispin Blunt: Ministerial colleagues and I are in regular contact with our overseas counterparts to discuss the extension, negotiation and implementation of prisoner transfer agreements, including those under EU legislation. However, we generally do not disclose which countries we have had such discussions with in the interests of our diplomatic relations.

Prisoners: Repatriation

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign national prisoners were voluntarily repatriated in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: Since 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2011 a total of 297 foreign national prisoners and three British national prisoners have been voluntarily repatriated from England and Wales to other jurisdictions to continue serving their sentences there. The number of foreign national prisoners repatriated in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2007 111 
			 2008 68 
			 2009 40 
			 2010 46 
			 2011 32 
		
	
	The repatriation of prisoners from Scotland and from Northern Ireland is a matter for the relevant devolved Administration.
	The above figures are drawn from the National Offender Management Service's Transfer Database and as with any recording system is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisons: Finance

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his Department’s expenditure was in prisons in each of the last five years; and how much he expects to spend in each year to 2015.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the total direct and overall resource outturn prison expenditure for the last five financial years from 2007-08 to 2011-12. The outturn expenditure figures are published as an addendum to the NOMS annual accounts.
	
		
			 Prison expenditure 
			 £ million 
			   Direct establishment Overall 
			 Outturn 2007-08 2,251 3,160 
			  2008-09 2,283 3,375 
			  2009-10 2,288 3,186 
			  2010-11 2,286 3,150 
			  2011-12 (1)2,213 (2)— 
			 (1) Provisional subject to audit. (2) Not yet available. 
		
	
	The overall expenditure is based on the direct establishment expenditure (i.e. expenditure incurred and managed at local level) plus relevant expenditure met by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and managed at regional or national level. The following expenditure is excluded: impairment of fixed assets; immigration removal centres and expenditure incurred on setting up new prisons. Expenditure that is recharged to the Youth Justice Board is also included.
	The figures may not be directly comparable over time due to changes in scope and accounting treatment. Figures for 2009-10 have been restated to exclude cost of capital, which was included in the 2009-10 accounts (and for earlier years) but is no longer included in expenditure from 2010-11 onwards.
	Financial year 2012-13
	The prison establishments’ resource budget allocation for private and public prisons in England and Wales at the start of April 2012 was £2,185 million. This is the nearest equivalent to the direct establishment expenditure figures given above, but they are not directly comparable; for example, items such as building maintenance and learning skills services are not fully included during the initial budget allocation process.
	Allocated budgets may be subject to amendment during the financial year.
	Financial year 2013-14 and 2014-15
	It is not possible to provide figures for 2013-14 and 2014-15 at this time as NOMS has not set budgets for the remaining years of the comprehensive spending review period. Budgets for financial year 2013-14 onwards will be set as part of NOMS regular annual budget allocation process. Allocations will be made on the basis of need and according to organisational priorities.

Prisons: Food

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent per prisoner on food in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) does not hold information on the cost of each prisoner meal and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	Public sector prisons do not set an individual meal allowance for prisoners. The responsibility for determining prisoner food budgets lies with the governor who will set aside a realistic sum that will meet the dietary needs of their prisoner population. Meal requirements vary between establishments and are based on the prisoner population, local regimes and seasonal availability. The average daily cost(1) for food (including beverages) per prisoner per day in public sector prisons was £2.20 for the financial year ending 2010.
	(1) The data have been calculated using available management information from the NOMS finance systems and assumes that all transactions have been allocated and recorded against the correct accounting codes.
	It is however possible to estimate what the average daily cost per prisoner meal would be.
	Prisons provide breakfast, lunch and dinner together with all condiments and beverages. The estimated average food cost per meal per prisoner is based on the understanding that breakfast, lunch and dinner account for approximately 20%, 40% and 40% of the daily food expenditure. But these percentages will vary from one establishment to another and are for illustrative purposes only. See Table 1 following which represents the latest available data.
	
		
			 Table 1 
			   Per prisoner per meal (for illustration only)  
			 Year ending 31 March Estimated total(1) (£ million) Breakfast (£) Lunch (£) Dinner (£) Estimated average daily food expenditure per prisoner(1) (£) 
			 2010 60 0.44 0.88 0.88 2.20 
			 2009 62 0.46 0.92 0.92 2.31 
			 2008 56 0.42 0.85 0.85 2.12 
			 2007 51 0.39 0.79 0.79 1.97 
			 2006 49 0.39 0.77 0.77 1.93 
			 (1) The data has been calculated using available management information from the NOMS finance systems and assumes that all transactions have been allocated and recorded against the correct accounting codes.

Probate: Winchester

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2012, Official Report, column 360W, on probate: Winchester, which probate caller offices in the UK have fewer than 50 personal applicants per day;
	(2)  what the unit cost is of an applicant for a grant of representation attending an appointment with a member of staff of the Probate Service; and what the average number of interviews is which can be carried out per day.

Jonathan Djanogly: The caller offices of the Probate Service in England and Wales are opened on an ad hoc basis when there is a full list of appointments to justify the opening. The standard list of appointments is between 50 and 60 for the days the offices are opened. However, where journey times for staff are lengthy and/or if the caller office is not available for a full day, some offices have full lists with fewer applications. Bolton, Oldham. Warrington, Wigan, Burnley and Swansea will list around 40; and Northampton 45.
	The unit cost of an applicant attending an appointment with a member of staff of the Probate Service is not available and could be calculated only at disproportionate cost. The cost would be different for each caller office throughout England and Wales due to the different costs of among other things, staff, travel and accommodation.
	The average number of appointments which can be carried out per day is location dependent and is between 45 and 50.

Recruitment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2012, Official Report, column 489W, on recruitment, to what extent his Department and its non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies used name-blank CVs or the blind sift function on the Civil Service Resourcing e-recruitment system to recruit staff in the last year.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice and its non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies has not adopted the full Civil Service Resourcing e-recruitment system. Although all vacancies are advertised on this system, the actual candidate applications are still processed through the Ministry's own e-recruitment system. Within the Ministry, some executive agencies choose to “blind” sift applications while the remainder, including the MOJ and non-departmental public bodies, retain the details of the candidates.

Reoffenders: Birmingham

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders sentenced for serious crimes had committed previous offences in (a) Birmingham, Selly Oak constituency and (b) South Birmingham in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice does not hold the detailed information to identify offenders who were sentenced for serious crimes had committed previous offences in (a) Birmingham, Selly Oak constituency and (b) South Birmingham.
	The MOJ publishes information on sentences statistics and criminal history of offenders in Criminal Justice Statistics report. The most recent report was published on 24 May 2012. The full report can be found on the MOJ website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/criminal-justice-stats/criminal-justice-stats-dec-2011.pdf

Seized Articles

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what proportion of offenders on the probation caseload possess assets that could be seized under the proposals contained in his Department's document, Punishment and Reform: Effective Community Sentences;
	(2)  which assets he expects to be seized as part of his proposed stand-alone punishment order.

Crispin Blunt: Our consultation paper “Punishment and Reform: Effective Community Sentences” seeks views on the potential for a new stand-alone power for courts to confiscate assets as a punishment. The consultation closes on 22 June 2012. The Government will in due course set out its intentions on this proposal, including the offenders to which it might apply and which assets might be seized, as part of its response to the consultation.

Sentencing

Simon Reevell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many Indeterminate Sentence for Public Protection (IPP) prisoners there are in England; how many IPP prisoners are waiting to be admitted onto courses that are mandatory for them to complete before their release can be considered by the parole board; and how many places are available on those courses.

Crispin Blunt: As at 31 March 2012, there were 6,017 prisoners serving an indeterminate sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP).
	It is not mandatory that prisoners serving an IPP or any other indeterminate sentence complete specific courses or programmes before they can be considered suitable for release by the independent Parole Board.
	The Parole Board's assessment of a prisoner's suitability for release is based upon areas of risk, rather than whether or not specific offending behaviour programmes (OBP) have been completed. A prisoner may address his or her risk in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, participation in group-based intervention programmes. Certain offenders will not actually be suitable for such programmes. In the event that a place on a given OBP, where specified in a prisoners sentence plan, is not immediately available in the time leading up to the prisoner's next parole review, due to a lack of places or difficulties in arranging a transfer to an appropriate establishment, the Parole Board will look for other indicators that a prisoner's risks have been reduced. Such indicators might include addressing the area of risk by completing an alternative OBP, engaging with one to one work, education and training, non-accredited courses, work, specialist support and resettlement or demonstrating a sustained period of stable behaviour.
	It should be remembered that it is the prisoner’s responsibility to demonstrate to the Parole Board that it is no longer necessary, on the grounds of public protection, for him to be detained in custody, once he has completed his tariff (that is, the minimum period of custody set by the Court for the purposes of punishment and deterrence).

Victim Support Schemes

Ronnie Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the potential costs of devolving the commissioning of victims' services and of its potential effect on (a) quality of service for victims and witnesses and (b) value for money;
	(2)  if he will give consideration to ring-fencing the funding for victims' services devolved to police and crime commissioners to ensure that service is maintained to those most in need;
	(3)  if he will take steps to ensure that police and crime commissioners do not redirect funding previously allocated to services for victims and witnesses to other priorities;
	(4)  if he will take steps to ensure that his Department's plans to devolve commissioning of victims' services to police and crime commissioners do not result in reduced resources being provided for such services;
	(5)  what steps he plans to take to ensure that his proposals for devolving responsibility for commissioning victim and witness services to police and crime commissioners will preserve the flexibility and resilience needed to respond to national emergencies;
	(6)  what account his Department has taken of the views of (a) victims and witnesses, (b) Victims' Support and (c) other victims' organisations in developing its proposals for local commissioning of services for victims and witnesses;
	(7)  what plans he has to ensure that all victims of crime have access to counselling and practical help when needed;
	(8)  what steps he plans to take to ensure minimum national quality standards for victims' services following the proposed introduction of local commissioning of such services;
	(9)  what assessment he has made of whether victims of crime in different parts of the country will receive different levels and quality of service following the introduction of local commissioning of victims' services;
	(10)  what improvements to services for victims and witnesses and in their satisfaction rating he expects to achieve through the local commissioning of such services;
	(11)  what steps he plans to take, following the proposed introduction of local commissioning of victims' services, to ensure that people who find it hardest to access support when they have been a victim of crime will receive the support they need;

Crispin Blunt: In the consultation document "Getting it right for Victims and Witnesses", we set out our proposals for the future commissioning of support services for victims including the proposal that police and crime commissioners take on local commissioning responsibilities. It was also proposed that support should be targeted at those who have been victims of serious crime, those who have been persistently targeted and those who are most vulnerable. The consultation also set out proposals to raise up to an additional £50 million annually from offenders, to be used for support services for victims and witnesses, in addition to the considerable sums already made available by Government for that purpose.
	Our proposals for local commissioning took account of input from organisations which support or represent victims and witnesses.
	Members of the public and other interested parties were encouraged to respond to the consultation, which began in January, and people had the opportunity to participate in a number of consultation events around the country. We expect our proposals to deliver positive outcomes for victims and provide value for money for the taxpayer.
	The consultation closed on 22 April and we are considering the many points made by respondents. We intend to publish the Government response to the consultation soon. In doing so, we shall take careful account of issues raised with us such as ring-fencing, quality standards and access to services.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Atos

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the total monetary value is of each contract between his Department and Atos;
	(2)  when each contract between his Department and Atos was most recently (a) agreed, (b) renewed and (c) extended.

Bob Neill: There has been no expenditure or contractual arrangements under this Administration.

Building Regulations: Electrical Safety

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the compliance rate with part P is for practitioners carrying out electrical work; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: Information on compliance rates is not held by the Department and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	As an indicator of compliance, we do know that around 40,000 practitioners have been assessed as competent to carry out domestic electrical installation work and are registered with a competent person scheme; and that they carry out and self-certify around 1.25 million jobs annually.

Council Tax Benefits

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions he has had with local authorities on planned changes to the administration of council tax benefits.

Bob Neill: Ministers within the Department for Communities and Local Government regularly meet colleagues from the local government sector to discuss a range of matters.

Empty Property: Birmingham

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the amount of office space in empty government buildings in (a) Birmingham, Ladywood constituency and (b) the Birmingham city council area.

Francis Maude: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	Using information from e-PIMS, the central Government database of land and buildings, there is currently 9,369m(2) of available vacant space in 12 buildings occupied by central Government Departments and their agencies in the Birmingham city council area. In addition, there is 3,442m(2) of vacant space in three buildings that is ‘under offer’ to prospective tenants.
	Under National Property Controls introduced in June 2010, central Government has exited over 20,000m(2) of space in Birmingham city council area as part of initiatives to reduce the size and cost of the central Government estate.
	Within Birmingham Ladywood constituency, there is currently 6,298m(2) of available vacant space in eight buildings occupied by central Government Departments and their agencies. In addition, there is 1,965m(2) of vacant space in one building that is ‘under offer’ to prospective tenants.
	Under the National Property Controls introduced in June 2010, central Government has exited almost 12,300m(2) of space within the Birmingham Ladywood constituency as part of initiatives to reduce the size and cost of the central Government estate.
	AH vacant space is being actively marketed to all prospective tenants through both the e-PIMS database and the activities of the Government Property Unit's regional team. Details of vacant space are also published on data.gov.uk on a quarterly basis.

Families: Disadvantaged

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the number of troubled families which include family members who have a criminal record.

Bob Neill: As part of the Troubled Families programme, local authorities will be identifying the target families. This process includes quantifying those involved in crime and antisocial behaviour. More information can be found in the Troubled Families programme financial framework, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

Families: Disadvantaged

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria he is using to identify troubled families.

Bob Neill: I refer the right hon. Member to the Troubled Families Programme Financial Framework, a copy of which has been place in the Library of the House.

Fire Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on a floor for grant reductions affecting fire and rescue authorities in years three and four of the spending review period.

Bob Neill: Following the Local Government Resource Review, we consulted last summer on our proposals for the new Business Rates Retention arrangements which will take effect from 2013-14. We will be consulting on further details on the scheme this summer, and will set out our final proposals in the provisional Local Government Finance settlement later this year.

Fire Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what savings fire and rescue services expect to make (a) nationally and (b) in Merseyside as a result of changes to control of the costs of the firefighters' pension scheme;
	(2)  if he will publish the savings which will accrue to the fire and rescue service as a result of the changes to control the costs of the firefighters' pension scheme before fire authorities are required to make decisions relating to redundancies and station closures;
	(3)  what arrangements he plans to put in place to support fire and rescue authorities that have to consider compulsory redundancies of firefighters as a result of changes in funding.

Bob Neill: Employer contribution rates for the reformed Firefighters' Pension Scheme 2015 will be based on a statutory valuation of the scheme prior to its introduction. Until that valuation has been conducted, it would be premature to speculate on future levels of contribution rates for individual fire and rescue authorities. My officials are discussing with finance directors from fire and rescue authorities to establish whether there are any bespoke arrangements which fire and rescue authorities might wish to commission separately from the formal valuation process.
	It is for individual fire and rescue authorities to manage their workforces in way that delivers value for money. Fire and rescue authorities have flexibility to offer enhanced redundancy compensation to staff who are eligible to be members of the Local Government Pension Scheme. We have received a formal request from the Fire and Rescue Service National Employers for Government to seek to put in place arrangements which extend these flexibilities to all employees of a fire and rescue authority. The Government, of course, understands that authorities will be looking to achieve savings, including in workforce costs, and is considering the employer's request in that context.

Housing

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the total capital spend on housing was in each year since 1982; and how much capital spend he expects on housing in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15.

Grant Shapps: Information on capital expenditure by this Department and its predecessors can be found in the annual reports and accounts that are available in the Library of the House. Annual reports from 2005, containing data from 1999-2000 onwards can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/about/howwework/corporatereports/reportsaccounts/annualreports/
	The annual report and accounts for 2011-12 will be laid in the House before the summer recess.
	Planned capital expenditure on housing in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15 is set out as follows:
	
		
			 £ million 
			 2012-13 1,437 
			 2013-14 1,243 
			 2014-15 1,037 
		
	
	In addition, as part of the London settlement, the following sums have been transferred to the Greater London Authority in respect of capital expenditure on housing:
	
		
			 £ million 
			 2012-13 654 
			 2013-14 597 
			 2014-15 692 
		
	
	Around £19.5 billion is being invested in much needed affordable housing. The Government is investing £4.5 billion to deliver up to 170, 000 new affordable homes from 2011 to 2015 and the total private funding contributed by providers to deliver these properties is around £15 billion. And our approach to reducing the inherited and unprecedented UK deficit has resulted in interest payments for mortgages that are currently the lowest as a proportion of total income since records began, helping families with the cost of living and supporting home owners and potential home buyers.

Housing: Construction

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many bids have been received to date to the Get Britain Building fund; and how many such bids have been successful;
	(2)  how many additional homes above the original estimate of 16,000 homes he estimates will be delivered as a result of the additional £150 million announced for the Get Britain Building fund;
	(3)  how many projects have received funding to date from the Get Britain Building fund first announced in November 2011; and what the (a) name, (b) location and (c) score was of each of the housing projects given funding;
	(4)  how many projects are now underway after receiving funds from the Get Britain Building fund announced in November 2011;
	(5)  what his latest estimate is of the number of homes that will be built as a result of the Get Britain Building fund announced in November 2011;
	(6)  how many homes have been built to date as a result of funding from the Get Britain Building fund announced in November 2011;
	(7)  how much funding his Department allocated under the Get Britain Building scheme in each region in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13, (c) 2013-14 and (d) 2014-15.

Grant Shapps: Get Britain Building is intended to unlock stalled sites with planning permission to help stimulate construction activity and provide new homes. The programme is intended to address difficulties in accessing development finance faced by some house builders and to help bring forward marginal sites by sharing risk. The £570 million public funding is being made available for this programme on the basis that it is recoverable. The programme will operate by making direct investments in specific projects through loans to address cash flow issues or taking an equity stake to build confidence through risk-sharing.
	386 Expressions of Interest were received by the Homes and Communities Agency by the deadline of 30 January 2012. 224 bids were approved to be considered for funding subject to due diligence. 29 additional reserve list projects were added to the shortlist at the beginning of May 2012. The agency is making project approval decisions and reaching agreements with developers on a rolling basis through to July 2012. The precise number of dwellings supported by the funding and additional funding will depend on which individual bids are accepted.
	Funding is not allocated on a regional basis, though the location of projects is a factor in the decision-making process. The funding allocated to each locality will depend on which bids are accepted following the due diligence and project approval process. The Homes and Communities Agency are making project approval decisions and reaching agreements with developers on a rolling basis.
	Funding is expected to be used in the two years 2012-13 and 2013-14. Reflecting normal build times, homes unlocked by Get Britain Building are expected to be completed in 2013 and 2014. The deadline date for completions is December 2014.

Housing: Construction

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings officials from his Department have had with banks, building societies and mortgage lenders on self-build policy since May 2010; and if he will place in the Library a copy of all the (a) meetings, (b) correspondence and (c) minutes of such meetings.

Grant Shapps: DCLG officials have worked closely with umbrella organisations like the Building Societies Association in developing the “Self Build Action Plan to promote the growth of self build housing” (National Self Build Association, July 2011) and the framework for the £30 million investment fund to help group projects which will be announced shortly. In preparing the action plan, officials participated in an industry-led finance sub-group, chaired by the Building Societies Association, which looked in detail at the finance challenges facing self builders. Barclays Bank, Nationwide and Hanley Building Society were represented on the sub-group.
	Details of the work of this sub-group are set out in the Self Build Action Plan. Officials have held no other meetings with banks, building societies and mortgage lenders with regard to self-build policy.
	The Government do not normally disclose specific information about internal meetings which inform the development of Government Policy as it undermines the ‘private space' needed to allow officials to have free and frank discussions with external partners, and advise Ministers on policy options. Without such discussions the objective consideration of all policy options and their implications would be inhibited.

Housing: Construction

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of planning applications to build new houses were refused permission by local authorities in England in each of the last 20 years.

Grant Shapps: The number and percentage of residential planning applications in England that were refused permission since 1996-97 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Total residential applications Number refused Percentage refused 
			 1996-97 51,700 11,300 22 
			 1997-98 52,900 11,600 22 
			 1998-99 51,500 12,000 23 
			 1999-2000 50,700 11,600 23 
			 2000-01 53,700 13,600 25 
			 2001-02 57,400 16,000 28 
			 2002-03 65,300 19,500 30 
			 2003-04 74,100 24,600 33 
			 2004-05 82,200 29,600 36 
			 2005-06 80,700 28,795 36 
			 2006-07 77,501 27,912 36 
			 2007-08 79,594 29,106 37 
			 2008-09 64,655 23,084 36 
			 2009-10 49,400 14,600 30 
			 2010-11 51,800 14,300 28 
		
	
	Information on residential planning applications which were refused prior to 1996-97 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	I also refer the right hon. Member to the answer of 12 June 2012, Official Report, column 409W, which notes that the number of granted residential planning permissions rose by 7% in 2011 compared to 2009.

Housing: Construction

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes have been built in each of the towns previously designated as eco-towns to date.

Grant Shapps: No eco-towns were ever built, illustrating the failure of the last Administration's top-down approach.

Housing: Older People

Sarah Newton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to monitor delivery of the New Deal for Older Person's Housing;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on specialist housing for older people.

Grant Shapps: Ministers within the Department for Communities and Local Government regularly meet colleagues from other Departments to discuss a range of matters.
	The Department monitors delivery of the FirstStop information and advice service through quarterly grant reporting objectives agreed with the Elderly Accommodation Counsel, the charity responsible for the service.
	The Department also monitors the delivery of support services to home improvement agencies, handyperson services and their local authority commissioners through quarterly contract reporting against an agreed work plan with Foundations, the national body for these services.

Kingston Upon Hull

Alan Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Minister for Housing and Local Government was part of the team from his Department that visited the Hull City Council area on 18 August and 9 December 2011.

Grant Shapps: The visit of 18 August was by the Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tunbridge Wells (Greg Clark).
	The visit of 9 December was by the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my hon. Friend the Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill).
	I also refer the right hon. Member to my letter to him of 29 May 2012, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

Local Government: Audit

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he plans to take to develop a mechanism which would trigger intervention in a failing local authority if the Audit Commission were to be abolished; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), has the power to intervene in any local authority if he considers that it is failing in its Best Value Duty, as set out in section 15 of the Local Government Act 1999. This power will not be affected by the abolition of the Audit Commission.
	Sector-led support from the Local Government Association is available for councils who experience corporate governance problems.

Local Government: Audit

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the total cost to the public purse of local authorities being required to run a procurement process for their audit services every five years.

Bob Neill: My Department estimates that the total cost to local bodies of running a procurement process for their audit services will be approximately £2.22 million per year. This includes an estimate of the cost of running an EU-compliant procurement process and the cost of managing the contracts. It assumes a collaborative approach, with some local bodies joining up to procure their audit services.
	The evidence used in calculating the £2.22 million figure is taken from the Local Government Association’s report, “The impact of EU procurement legislation on councils”, and the National Audit Office’s report, “Central Government’s management of service contracts”. Full details of this calculation and the savings to local bodies are contained in the consultation-stage impact assessment that will be published alongside the draft Local Audit Bill. Overall, the impact assessment estimates that the programme to disband the Audit Commission and introduce a new local audit framework will see savings of £650 million over the next five years, the majority of which will be realised by local bodies.

Local Government: Audit

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the cost of training members of independent audit committees; and whether this training will be funded under the new burdens arrangements.

Bob Neill: No specific estimates have been made of any potential costs of training members of local auditor panels. Local bodies will be able to avoid or minimise any such costs by recruiting members with existing expertise, and/or by sharing their panel with other bodies. Government intends to issue further guidance on the operation of auditor panels when the new local audit framework comes into effect, and will work closely with the sector to develop this guidance. As set out in the consultation stage impact assessment to be published alongside the draft Local Audit Bill, the new local audit framework is expected to result in significant overall savings for local government.

Local Government: Fraud

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the total amount of (a) fraud, (b) overpayments and (c) errors detected by the National Fraud Initiative was in each year since its inception.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to respond to the hon. Member direct.
	I would add that it is our intention to continue with the National Fraud Initiative, notwithstanding the abolition of the Audit Commission. We are liaising with the National Fraud Authority and the Department for Work and Pensions on the matter.
	Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 18 June 2012
	Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply.
	The Audit Commission has run the National Fraud Initiative to prevent and detect fraud, overpayments and errors since 1996. It initially applied only to England and Wales but was extended to Scotland and Northern Ireland in 2000/01 and is now run in partnership with Audit Scotland, the Northern Ireland Audit Office and the Wales Audit Office. It runs on a two yearly cycle, so we cannot provide an annual breakdown of the amounts identified.
	The NFI matches electronic data provided by local public bodies and other participants. Where the matching identifies anomalies that indicate potential fraud or overpayments, the matches are passed back to the participating bodies to investigate. They report the results of their investigations via the NFI's secure website and we report these results every two years in a national report. We published our report on the latest exercise, covering 2010/11, earlier this year in May.
	To date the NFI has identified a total of £939 million fraud, overpayments and errors across the UK. This total includes actual fraud, errors and overpayments identified and estimates of expenditure that would have been incurred in future years had the fraud, errors or overpayments gone undetected.
	We do not analyse reported outcomes between fraud, overpayments and errors as in our experience the categorisation by participants is not consistent. For example, whereas one body might classify something as a fraud on the basis of intent, another would classify it as a fraud only if the case had resulted in a prosecution for fraud.
	The total outcomes for each two yearly exercise and the total cumulative outcomes since the NFI's inception in 1996 are summarised in the following table:
	
		
			  Exercise 
			  Coverage Total outcomes (£ million) Cumulative total outcomes (£ million) 
			 1996 England and Wales 19 19 
			 1998-99 England and Wales 42 61 
			 2000-01 UK 54 115 
			 2002-03 UK 83 198 
			 2004-05 UK 111 309 
			 2006-07 UK 140 449 
			 2008-09 UK 215 664 
			 2010-11 UK 275 939

Local Government: Procurement

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library any advice he has received from departmental statisticians relating to research by Opera Solutions on savings in council procurement.

Bob Neill: I assume the right hon. Member is referring to a DCLG press release of 16 June 2011 on savings in council procurement, which mentioned the organisation Opera Solutions. This press release was cleared by Ministers and civil servants in line with standard procedures.
	I would add that Local Government Association’s own findings from its Local Productivity Programme, which has assessed the experience of councils of making savings through collaborative procurement, has identified savings of up to 20% in some service areas. This is evidenced in the procurement, capital and shared assets productivity workstream’s document, entitled “Response to Spending Review, Quick Wins Strategy, October 2010”.
	Moreover, the Department has been working with capital and asset pathfinder areas to manage their capital spend and assets more effectively through a bottom-up commissioning approach across the public sector within an area. The projects have shown that adopting a cross-public sector approach can lead to substantial savings of up to 20%.
	I also refer the right hon. Member to my answer of 23 February 2012, Official Report, column 893W, on the scope of major savings in the area of local authority procurement.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes have been purchased using loans provided through the Government's NewBuy Guarantee Scheme.

Grant Shapps: Quality-assured data on the total number of completions under the industry-led NewBuy Guarantee scheme are not yet available to Government.
	The Government expects to make this information available from September 2012.
	The purchase of a newly built home is normally completed up to six months after reservation; as of 12 June, the NewBuy Guarantee scheme was only three months old.

Private Rented Housing

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information his Department holds on the number of homes in the private rented sector that do not meet his decent home standard; what plans he has to decrease that number; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: English Housing Survey shows that standards in the private rented sector are continuing to improve more rapidly than in other sectors. The most recent results were published on 9 February 2012. These show that there was a marked decrease in the proportion of private rented sector homes which were non-decent (from 47% to 37%) between 2006 and 2010.
	Local authorities already have a key role in assessing the condition of housing in their area and it is in their interests to collect information across all housing tenures through housing condition surveys.
	Under the Housing Act 2004 they also have powers to inspect individual properties and, where appropriate, take enforcement action under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. If a property is found to contain serious (category 1) hazards, the local authority has a duty to take the most appropriate action. This could range from trying to deal with the problems informally at first to prohibiting the use of the whole or part of the dwelling

Rented Housing: Housing Benefit

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to encourage landlords to accept housing benefit as payment; and what steps he is taking to increase the availability of good quality houses of multiple occupation.

Grant Shapps: Figures drawn from the Family Resources Survey 2008-09 and the March 2011 Single Housing Benefit Extract data generate an estimate that 32% of private sector renters are in receipt of housing benefit. This suggests that housing benefit claimants continue to be able to access privately rented housing. At present, under the local housing allowance arrangements, housing benefit is paid to claimants in the majority of cases. For some claimants who are likely to run into financial difficulties or have built up significant arrears, payment is made to the landlord. The Government plans to broadly replicate these provisions within universal credit. We have also introduced a new temporary safeguard to allow local authorities to pay housing benefit direct to the landlord where it helps a claimant to secure or retain a tenancy at a reduced rent.
	Local authorities now have greater flexibility to plan for and manage houses in multiple occupation in their local area. We amended the planning rules for these in October 2010 to remove the blanket requirement for planning permission for all material changes of use from family houses to small houses of multiple occupation introduced by the previous administration.
	The licensing provisions in the Housing Act 2004 also ensure that there are adequate amenities and safety requirements in properties where there are several households sharing basic facilities. In addition to the mandatory licensing of certain high-risk houses of multiple occupation, local authorities have the discretion to extend licensing to smaller types without having to first seek approval from this department. I believe it is right for these local decisions to be made by those who are directly accountable to local communities.

Social Rented Housing

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration he has given to the potential loss of economies of scale of his Department's Tenant Cashback scheme.

Grant Shapps: Under Tenant Cashback, social tenants that take pride in their homes by taking on routine repairs and maintenance should be able to share in any savings made. Similarly, community groups that take control of communal services, saving the landlord money by delivering a more efficient service, should be able to decide how to reinvest the savings to fund improvements to the local area for the benefit of all residents.
	Social housing should act as a springboard to help people make better lives for themselves. The experience of current pilot schemes is showing that Tenant Cashback can bring tenants an increasing sense of ownership over their homes and communities, together with real practical benefits such as new skills for tenants, while landlords are seeing a significant reduction in the number of repairs reported.
	Our approach allows social landlords to design schemes in consultation with tenants. Landlords can consider the scope for economies of scale alongside the other benefits and efficiencies that can arise through enabling tenants to commission work or to carry it out themselves.
	The scheme can help save money for landlords and allow local residents to earn extra cash.

Social Rented Housing

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many home swaps have taken place under the HomeSwap Direct Scheme in (a) Birmingham, Hall Green constituency and (b) England since the scheme’s inception.

Grant Shapps: I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave to the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole (Annette Brooke) on 23 May 2012, Official Report, column 683W, and to the response I gave to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Erdington (Jack Dromey) on 12 June 2012, Official Report, column 410W.

Social Rented Housing: Second Homes

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the number of social housing tenants who own second homes; and what statistical measures his Department uses to arrive at that figure.

Grant Shapps: My Department's estimates suggest that between 0.8% and 1.2% of social renting households own another property. This is based on analysis of the Survey of English Housing 2007-08 and the English Housing Survey 2008-09 and 2009-10. This ‘owning another property’ classification is technically a broader definition than ‘second home’ ownership.

Social Services: Children

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the local government funding settlement for 2011-12 and 2012-13, what assessment he has made of changes made to the Revenue Formula Grant needs assessment for Children's Social Care (a) in aggregate and (b) for each local authority relative to the baseline for 2010-11.

Bob Neill: Relative spending pressures were considered as part of the 2010 spending review and that assessment informed the control totals for the children's social care service block in formula grant for 2011-12 and 2012-13. Equality impact assessments were published by my Department both for the 2011-12 settlement:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1112/LGFREqIA.pdf
	and the 2012- 13 settlement:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1213/eqiasettles.pdf

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how he will ensure that local landscape designations will be respected by the Planning Inspectorate in relation to wind turbine applications; and what support is to be offered to local planning authorities in revising and updating local plans.

Bob Neill: Planning law requires planning decisions to be made in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. We are clear in the National Planning Policy Framework that local plans are the keystone of the planning system and have underlined the importance of local planning in protecting valued landscapes. We have set out in the framework how its policies should be applied alongside existing and emerging plans.
	We are working closely with the Local Government Association and the Planning Inspectorate to provide a range of measures to help local councils update plans as efficiently as possible. This includes guidance from the inspectorate on how to undertake a fast partial review of a local plan, where the issues are limited to discrete policies which do not change the overall plan strategy. This guidance will be published by the inspectorate shortly. A helpline has been available since the framework was published, to answer questions from councils about the implications of the framework for plan making.

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to impose minimum distance requirements between wind farm developments and dwellings.

Bob Neill: Planning policy does not include an exclusion zone between wind turbines and dwellings. Rather, impacts should be assessed on a case by case basis taking into account the context, such as the local topography.

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether, if a wind energy company has proposed turbines for a sites but has not yet submitted a planning application, such proposals are deemed to be in the planning system.

Bob Neill: To be considered by the relevant local planning authority a planning application for a wind farm must have been formally submitted and accepted as valid.

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what training has been provided for the Planning Inspectorate to prepare it adequately to evaluate the arguments and evidence presented at public inquiries relating to wind farms.

Bob Neill: The Planning Inspectorate ran internal training courses on renewable energy casework for small groups of inspectors in 2007 and again in November 2009. These courses were organised in conjunction with the Centre for Sustainable Energy and were funded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change. The training covered the key issues arising in wind farm cases, including noise, landscape and visual impact. The 2009 course also included two presentations from representatives of organisations or groups who were opposed to wind farm development. In addition, a webinar on wind turbines and noise was presented to all inspectors dealing with renewable energy cases in November/December 2010.

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment his Department has made of the resources and expertise planning authorities have to carry out and enforce wind farm related planning conditions.

Bob Neill: It is for the local planning authority concerned to assess whether they have the expertise in place and are making available sufficient resources to consider wind farm developments. We are aware, from a review for the Department of Energy and Climate Change by Hayes McKenzie, of concerns about consistency in carrying out wind turbine noise assessments and the challenge this can pose for those who may not be familiar with such assessments. Following publication of this review, the Institute of Acoustics, independent experts in this field, are developing practice guidance.

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will consider the French National Academy of Medicine's recommendation that the minimum distance between turbines and domestic dwellings should be at least 1.5 km.

Charles Hendry: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Energy and Climate Change.
	The Government continues to monitor how various renewable energy issues are tackled in other countries, including the process for consenting Onshore wind-turbine development, and to keep abreast of relevant research.

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many wind farm applications were submitted for sites (a) in Northamptonshire and (b) nationally in the last 12 months for which information is available.

Bob Neill: The Renewable Energy Planning Database, available via the Department of Energy and Climate Change's website, recorded five new planning applications involving wind turbines in Northamptonshire between May 2011 and April 2012. During the same period there were 105 such planning applications in England. The information on projects is updated every month, but there may be a time lag in recording new applications or when the status of an application changes.

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will issue guidance on the balance to be struck by local planning authorities between granting planning permission for onshore wind farms and the need to protect (a) greenfield sites, (b) green belt sites, (c) Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and (d) national parks.

Bob Neill: The National Planning Policy Framework provides guidance to local planning authorities on renewable energy developments and conserving and enhancing the natural environment, including protecting designated areas. The Framework must be taken into account in the preparation of local and neighbourhood plans, and is a material consideration in planning decisions.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

House of Lords: Reform

Simon Hart: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate has been made of the cost per head for staff, salaries and offices of a wholly or partly elected House of Lords.

Mark Harper: We will publish full cost estimates when we introduce a Bill.

House of Lords: Reform

Peter Bone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the timetable is for House of Lords reform.

Mark Harper: A Bill on House of Lords reform will be introduced before the summer recess, as indicated by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House of Commons, in response to the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough (Mr Blunkett), on 10 May 2012, Official Report, column 131.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Arms Trade: Vietnam

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what is covered by the defence co-operation memorandum of understanding between the UK and Vietnam negotiated by the UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation and signed on 24 November 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: Negotiations on the Anglo-Vietnam defence co-operation memorandum of understanding (MOU) were led by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), not UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation. The Under-Secretary of State for Defence, my noble Friend Lord Astor of Hever, signed the document on behalf of the MOD. The MOU is designed to further enhance the bilateral relationship and support the exchange of information in areas such as training and peace support operations.

Business: Dismissal

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many responses have been received to his call for evidence on dealing with dismissal and compensated no fault dismissal for micro businesses.

Norman Lamb: We have received around 260 responses.

Business: South-west

Anne-Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many business mentors were recruited in (a) Devon and (b) the south-west in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mark Prisk: Get Mentoring is a SFEDI-led (Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative) project, supported by grant funding (from both BIS and the Government Equalities Office) to recruit and train 15,000 volunteer business mentors from the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) community.
	To date, over 11,000 volunteers have been recruited through this initiative, around 10% of whom are based in the south-west. This estimate is only approximate and based on the location of the workshop they attended. We do not currently have the data to ascertain how many were recruited from Devon specifically.

Construction: Training

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment his Department has made of the effects of the Construction Industry Training Board levy on small and medium-sized enterprises in the construction industry.

John Hayes: The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) levy depends on the continued consent of employers. The last levy order was passed by Parliament in March 2012 and includes provision for small firms to be exempt from paying the levy where their expenditure on payroll and sub-contract labour is below £80,000. The order also provided for the introduction of a “taper” that allows employers with combined payroll and sub-contract labour costs of between £80,000 and £100,000 to have to pay only 50% of their levy liability.
	The industry itself sets the exemption levels and it is right that they do so. The aim is to strike a balance between making sure small businesses are not overburdened with costs, with the need to ensure that the costs of training are spread fairly across the industry. Tapering levy arrangements around the threshold protects more small firms.
	All small firms in the industry are able to access grants and support for training from the CITB irrespective of whether or not they are exempt from paying the levy. In addition CITB assist employers by allowing levy payments to be made in instalments at no extra charge. This is particularly helpful in addressing cash-flow issues for small to medium-size enterprises.

Disclosure of Information

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on the updating of published data in line with the Government’s transparency agenda in each month since September 2011.

Norman Lamb: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) does not collect figures on the cost of updating of published data in line with the transparency agenda. To do so would incur disproportionate costs.

Health Insurance

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff in his Department are entitled to private health care as part of their remuneration package.

Norman Lamb: BIS has no staff entitled to private health care as part of their remuneration package.

International Trade: Staff

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff within his Department are allocated to work on international trade negotiations.

Norman Lamb: International trade negotiations are handled by the Trade Policy Unit, a joint unit between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Department for International Development (DFID). At present, the unit has 32 staff from BIS and 15 staff from DFID.

Manufacturing Industries

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department plans to take in response to the recent reduction in UK manufacturing output.

Mark Prisk: Growth is the Government’s top priority for bringing about a sustained revival in manufacturing output. “The Plan for Growth”, published in March 2011, set out the Government’s strategic aim of achieving strong, sustainable and balanced growth that is more evenly shared across the country and between industries. It brings an ambitious and relentless focus to the role Government can play to drive growth; ensuring support and enabling the right conditions for businesses, including those in the manufacturing sector, to thrive and achieve strong, sustainable and balanced growth. This work will continue throughout this Parliament.
	We are pushing ahead with an 11-point Advanced Manufacturing Action plan which was drawn up in consultation with industry and published as part of the Plan for Growth. We are now making good progress in delivering against these actions, and gave a full report on progress at the March 2012 budget.
	Since then, we have announced a number of further key measures supporting the sector including the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative; the Talent Retention Solution; See Inside Manufacturing programme; a package of measures to support energy intensive industries; and a further £1 billion investment in the Regional Growth Fund.
	We are also working through joint industry/government councils and other fora to develop strategies in key sectors, including automotive, aerospace and maritime.

New Businesses: Young People

Anne-Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of young people expected to start a business in the next 12 months.

Mark Prisk: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not estimate the number of businesses expected to start-up in the next 12 months.
	However, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor reported that in 2010, about 5% of people in the UK aged 18 to 24 said they expected to start a business in the next two to three years.
	Analysis of the Office for National Statistics “Labour Force Survey” for 2011 shows that 18% of the newly self-employed population (those in self-employment for less than three months) were aged 16 to 24.

Procurement

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the total (a) number and (b) value of contracts issued by (i) his Department and (ii) bodies for which he is responsible which were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Norman Lamb: BIS's spend with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has been reported in the Cabinet Office report, “Making Government business more accessible to SMEs—One Year On”:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/making-government-business-more-accessible-smes-one-year

Research

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the abolition of his Department's R&D scoreboard, how he proposes his Department will obtain information on the level of R&D spend in the UK by (a) public and (b) private sector organisations.

David Willetts: holding answer 14 June 2012
	Information on the level of R&D spend in the UK by public sector organisations will be obtained from the Government R&D (GovERD) survey that goes out annually to all Government Departments and research councils. The data are published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) as part of the gross expenditure on R&D (GERD) which also includes R&D expenditure by the higher education sector and businesses. Detailed breakdowns of departmental spend is published on the website of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in SET Statistics.
	Information on the level of R&D spend in the UK by private organisations will be obtained from the:
	Business Enterprise R&D data (BERD) produced by ONS which is based on survey data and published annually;
	Bi-annual UK Innovation Survey, which is based on a sample of firms with 10 or more employees and which includes data about R&D.
	These data are complemented by the EU R&D scoreboard.

Research

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department's R&D scoreboard cost to produce; and from what budget that cost was taken.

David Willetts: holding answer 14 June 2012
	The annual externally contracted costs of producing the R&D scoreboard were £400,000. This was paid for from the Business Finance and Innovation budget. In addition there was an internal project management overhead of about £5,000.

Science: Research

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress he has made on implementing the Government's Strategy for Life Sciences published in November 2011; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: holding answer 14 June 2012
	The Government are committed to early delivery of the Strategy for UK Life Sciences. We have appointed two independent life sciences champions, Sir John Bell and Chris Brinsmead, to oversee and drive implementation forward.
	Early achievements on implementing the various commitments in the strategy include:
	The launch of the Biomedical Catalyst jointly administered by the Technology Strategy Board and Medical Research Council. This three-year £180 million programme opened for applications in April 2012 to UK businesses (SMEs) and academics looking to develop innovative solutions to health care challenges either individually or in collaboration. It will support the maturation of an idea from concept to commercialisation.
	The Clinical Practice Research Datalink was established on 29 March 2012. This provides researchers with access to patient data for clinical trials recruitment and observational studies.
	Clinical Trials Gateway website and mobile applications for iphone, ipad and android devices have been launched. The website will provide patients and the public with information about clinical trials in the UK, with the anticipation that this will lead to patients feeling empowered to participate in clinical research.
	At Budget 2012 the Government confirmed the launch of the Patent Box from April 2013. This will be phased in over five years from 2013 to give a reduced 10% rate of corporation tax on profits from patents and certain other similar types of Intellectual Property.
	The UK Strategy for Regenerative Medicine was published on 28 March 2012. The Regenerative Medicine funding scheme, known as the UK Regenerative Medicine Platform, is open for calls to fund research hubs.
	Progress is being made on the establishment of a Cell Therapy Catapult in London by the Technology Strategy Board through the appointment of Keith Thompson as chief executive officer for the Cell Therapy Catapult on 1 May.
	The Sector Skills Council, Cogent, has developed an action plan to attract the best talent into the life sciences workforce. Progress includes:
	Nine higher level apprenticeships incorporating a Foundation Degree in Applied Bioscience Technology commenced in February 2012. The apprenticeships form a pilot programme and provide an alternative pathway for entry into the industry at technician level. Our ambition is to deliver 420 apprenticeships over the next five years.
	The Technical Apprenticeship Service (TAS) which acts as a one-stop shop for life sciences employers to access the apprenticeship programme has been up and running since January 2012.
	The Society of Biology launched their undergraduate degree accreditation programme on 20 March 2012 following successful completion of a 2011-12 pilot programme.
	The Strategy for UK Life Sciences has been developed for the long-term to ensure the UK retains its position as a global leader in this field, and that the industry continues to deliver sustainable year-on-year growth. The impact of the strategy may take 10 to 15 years to be fully realised.

Student Loans Company

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans his Department has to improve standards of customer service at the Student Loans Company; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: This Department is committed to supporting the Student Loans Company (SLC) in its efforts to improve its customer service. The SLC has recently introduced website changes, a new knowledge management system, improved quality controls and greater automation to processing and customer call systems.
	The SLC is increasingly focused on significant investment to sustain and replace its aging ICT systems, critical to enhancing customer service in the future.

Student Loans Company

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria are used to measure customer satisfaction at the Student Loans Company.

David Willetts: For financial year 2012-13, this Department has agreed an annual overall customer satisfaction target of 70.1% with the Student Loans Company (SLC). The target comprises student satisfaction, re-payer satisfaction and student sponsor satisfaction and covers service attributes including ease of filling applications, ease of contacting SLC, and SLC resolving issues fully. The overall customer satisfaction level achieved in April was 76.4% which was 2.6% higher than in March.
	Additional customer satisfaction measures apply to SLC's call centre service which provide for an 81% target rating for advisers, 74% for call outcome and 80% for consistency of information. Performance against these measures in April was 83%, 79% and 80% respectively.
	Customer satisfaction is a key priority for the SLC and this Department is committed to supporting the company to meet its targets. Performance against targets is reviewed monthly by this Department and the SLC board, and targets are revised annually to raise service levels balanced against the availability of resources.

Students: Finance

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer of 16 April 2012, Official Report, column 294W, on students: finance, what maximum level of funding has been allocated to the provision of student loans for those enrolled on designated higher education courses; and what sanctions are in place if that limit is exceeded.

David Willetts: Funding for student loans is demand-led with eligibility and entitlement determined by the Education (Student Support) Regulations. The Department closely monitors expenditure in all areas and will take action necessary to deal with any specific risks of overspending.
	Institutions funded by the Higher Education Council for England (HEFCE) are allocated a student number control each year. This sets the upper limit for recruitment in that year. If that total is exceeded HEFCE has the power to withdraw teaching grant in subsequent years to cover the additional costs of meeting the student support for those additional students.
	We have announced in our response to the Higher Education White Paper and the associated BIS technical consultation that we will introduce measures to bring alternative providers, and those further education (FE) colleges that do not receive HEFCE funding, into the formal student number control system, alongside other providers. We will consult later this year on the process for applying these changes.

Students: Finance

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when his Department made campaign materials on part-time student finance available; and what outlets have been used to promote the campaign.

Norman Lamb: A leaflet specific to part-time student finance was produced in spring 2011 and distributed to all of our higher education stakeholders, including membership organisations such as Universities UK, Guild HE, University Marketing Forum and others, to ensure the sector was well informed of the changes to part-time student finance.
	An information campaign about the reforms to higher education student finance ran from May 2011 to February 2012 which cost £2.61 million. Messaging to part-time applicants was a feature of the campaign, but it is not possible to disaggregate this activity as a portion of the total spend. To coincide with this new campaign, the leaflet specific to part-time students was rebranded and reissued to align with the other campaign materials.
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) also set up a stakeholder reference group in late 2011 comprised of key representatives from organisations with an interest in part-time students. This group was formed specifically to seek advice and input on tailoring communications aimed at prospective mature part-time students in particular. The group reviewed existing materials and a new core script aimed at part-time students was developed and issued to over 400 Higher Education stakeholders in February 2012. This sought to address the needs and concerns of the prospective part-time audience more specifically, for instance around eligibility and repayment terms.
	Since March 2012, we have updated and reissued materials for the academic year 2013/14 and distributed further video case studies to the higher education sector in order to deliver the messages on part-time student finance more widely. A new single part-time page collating all relevant student finance information was also created on DirectGov and the link to it widely disseminated.
	The members of the BIS stakeholder reference group have been cascading these resources to their audiences via their own channels to ensure maximum reach for our messaging to part-time students. Members of the group include unions, higher education institutions (HEIs), mission groups and other sector bodies. We are working in close collaboration with the Student Loans Company on this activity.

Students: Finance

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding his Department has allocated to promoting the part-time student support scheme in the academic year (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13.

Norman Lamb: An information campaign about the reforms to higher education student finance ran from May 2011 to February 2012 and cost £2.61 million. Messaging to part-time applicants was a feature of the campaign, but it is not possible to disaggregate this activity as a portion of the total spend.
	In 2012-13 the projected expenditure is £1 million. This is for the Student Finance Tour which will target young people and mature students in schools, further education (FE) and sixth form colleges who intend to apply for both full and part-time courses in 2013/14. The tour will include leaflets, video case studies and presentation material which all provide clear details of the student support package for part-time students.
	We have developed a suite of specific part-time materials in collaboration with the higher education sector and we continue to work with them to ensure the messages to potential mature part-time students about student finance are disseminated as widely as possible through their own channels.

Students: Loans

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what market research and testing his Department conducted in determining the name of 24+ Advanced Learning Loans; and what definition of the word advanced was most common amongst student respondents.

John Hayes: holding answer 14 June 2012
	We tested a range of names with over 100 colleges and training organisations, through a Skills Funding Agency survey, and with learners through the Online Learning Panel. Feedback from this testing showed that the name should be clear, and should specify the age group and level of provision loans will be available for.
	24+ Advanced Learning Loans will be available for learners aged 24 and above studying at Level 3 and above, from the 2013/14 academic year.

Students: Loans

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what identification and information the Student Loans Company will require from those applying for a 24+ Advanced Learning Loan in order to assess eligibility.

John Hayes: holding answer 14 June 2012
	In line with current practice for HE loans, for identification the Student Loans Company (SLC) will require a UK passport number which will be checked with the Identity and Passport Service. For non UK Passport holders, the SLC will require their passport, and for those with no passport, the SLC will require a birth certificate.
	Application forms, to gather further information with which the SLC can assess eligibility, will require:
	Personal details (name, sex, date of birth, place of birth, nationality)
	National insurance number (required for repayment purposes)
	Contact details (address, phone number, e-mail address)
	Residential status (including residence history)
	Details of previous support from SLC
	Details of the Training provider
	Details of the course the loan is required for

Wind Power

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of (a) wind turbine towers and (b) wind turbines installed in the latest year for which figures are available were made in the UK.

Mark Prisk: The Government do not collect data on the proportion of onshore or offshore wind turbines or wind turbine towers that were installed in the UK that are made in the UK. However, the Government's Renewable Energy Roadmap (July 2011) outlined ambitions for offshore wind energy of up to 18GW by 2020. The Government are working with UK industry to ensure that it is aware of that market opportunity and capable of competing successfully to win significant market share. However, the latest report by K-Matrix on the low carbon environmental goods and services sector shows that the sector, including wind, continues to grow in the UK:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/business-sectors/green-economy/market-intelligence/market-data

Wind Power

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the global market share of wind turbine manufacture of UK companies.

Mark Prisk: The Government do not produce estimates of the global market for wind turbine manufacture or the UK manufacturing share of it. However, an independent report produced by K-Matrix and commissioned by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills estimates the UK and global turnover for the wind market (offshore and onshore) and numbers of UK companies involved. These estimates include economic activity across all aspects of the supply chain. K-Matrix estimates that turnover in the UK wind market in 2010-11 was around £14 billion (including all supply chain activity), which is 3.6% of the global wind market.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Maintenance

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that effective enforcement action is taken so that parents receive child maintenance.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	Letter from Noel Shanahan
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that effective enforcement action is taken so that parents receive child maintenance.
	The Commission has at its disposal a range of strong enforcement powers, intended to ensure all parents fulfil their financial responsibilities towards their children, and we are using all of the powers available to us where it is appropriate to do so—for example, we are increasing the use we make of deductions from non-resident parents' bank accounts and orders for sale of their property. In fact, the latest figures in the March 2012 Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary of Statistics show deduction of monies from bank accounts has trebled since 2009. Additionally, driving disqualifications for non-payment have risen eightfold since 2008. Enforcement information is routinely published in the Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary of Statistics which is available using the following link:
	http://www.childmaintenance.org/en/pdf/qss/Qss_mar_2012.pdf
	In the future, the introduction of the new child maintenance scheme will bring greater automation and in turn more alerts to identify quickly people who fall into debt. Once the new scheme is introduced, this will give us additional capacity to pursue effective debt collection, including taking tougher enforcement action more quickly against those who continue to evade their responsibilities.
	The Government has recently reconfirmed its commitment to introducing further enforcement powers for use against parents who refuse to pay, when the time is right. The proposed forthcoming integration of the child maintenance system into the Department for Work and Pensions will ensure full Ministerial accountability for the use of these far-reaching powers.

Consumer Prices Index

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the consumer prices index with housing costs included, which is being developed by the Office for National Statistics, might be used in future for the uprating of (a) state benefits and pensions and (b) public sector pensions.

Steve Webb: The Office for National Statistics is currently consulting on the methodology for reflecting owner occupiers' housing costs in a new additional measure of consumer price inflation. We will need to consider the range of issues, including the outcomes of this consultation, before coming to any conclusion about the most appropriate measure for the purposes of uprating state benefits and pensions and public sector pensions in the future.

Disclosure of Information

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on the updating of published data in line with the Government's transparency agenda in each month since September 2011.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions is a large customer facing organisation and staff routinely publish and update large amounts of statistics and research, procurement, expenditure and staffing information which all constitute elements of the DWP's wider transparency commitments. Assessing the cost of updating this information since September 2011 solely in relation to the Government's transparency agenda and differentiating it from normal business would exceed the disproportionate cost limit.

Employment Schemes

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) young people, (b) lone parents, (c) people with disabilities and (d) people in total gained work as a result of attending government programmes in (i) York, (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber, (iii) England and (iv) the UK in (A) 1992 and (B) each year since 1992.

Chris Grayling: To provide the requested statistical breakdown for all Government programmes since 1992 would incur disproportionate cost.

Employment Schemes: Wrexham

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which organisations in Wrexham which provided assistance for employment support allowance will not provide assistance under the Work programme.

Chris Grayling: Prior to the Work programme, ESA customers in the Wrexham area who needed help to look for work were referred to our Pathways to Work contracted provider, A4e.
	Under the Work Programme, ESA customers are now referred to one of two prime contractors: Jobfit, who then subcontract to BTCV, or Working Links, who deliver directly to claimants.

Housing Benefit

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will estimate the number of people who will have their housing benefit capped who will move from employment to unemployment as a result of the cap;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the housing benefit cap on transient population movement to seaside towns.

Steve Webb: The Department has commissioned a consortium of academics and research organisations led by Ian Cole, professor of housing studies at Sheffield Hallam university, to undertake an independent review of the impact of changes to the local housing allowance system of housing benefit.
	Elements of the research are impacts on employment and a spatial analysis of the effects of the changes that will examine movement from one local authority to another.
	The Department published a report of early findings on 14 June and a copy of the report has been lodged in the House Library.
	The report found that in high rent markets such as London one third of claimants-respondents looked for a job and a similar proportion say they will look for a job to meet a shortfall in their rent. Nationally the respective averages are slightly lower (27% and 32%).
	The Department of Communities and Local Government, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government are working in close partnership with the DWP and contributing to the costs of the review.

Housing Benefit

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with local authority leaders whose authorities include the principal seaside towns on the potential effects of benefit caps on seaside towns.

Chris Grayling: Engagement between the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and local authorities (LAs) is paramount to ensure the support needs for all potentially impacted claimants are met. On 21 March 2012, Robert Devereux, DWP Permanent Secretary, and Sir Bob Kerslake wrote jointly to all LA chief executives regarding planning for Welfare Reform, including the introduction of the benefit cap.
	At a strategic level, the Local Government Association (LGA) and DCLG are working alongside DWP and other Government Departments to prepare for the introduction of the benefit cap.
	The impact of the benefit cap will vary across the country both in terms of the job/training opportunities available and the housing support that may be required and as such the approach to implementing support mechanisms will be tailored to the specific geographic area.
	Locally, DWP district managers are leading engagement with LAs to support those potentially impacted. DWP officials responsible for design and implementation of the benefit cap will be seeking assurance that DWP and LA operational staff are working together to identify and manage issues relevant to the local area, this will include those issues that may be specific to seaside towns.

Housing Benefit

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of families who will leave their existing homes in Poplar and Limehouse constituency as a consequence of the introduction of the benefit cap on 1 April 2013.

Chris Grayling: The information is not available.
	The benefit cap will mean that people on benefit will face choices about housing costs similar to those faced by people in work. But it will not necessarily mean that they will need to move from their home. Even within the limits of this cap, households will still be able to receive significant amounts of financial assistance from state welfare payments and if a member of the household moves into work and becomes eligible for working tax credit they will be exempt from the impacts of the cap.
	We know which people are likely to be affected by the cap and following the passing of the Welfare Reform Act we have a year to work with them before the cap is introduced. Jobcentre Plus will contact every potential benefit cap claimant to ensure that they are offered the opportunity to discuss employment support and to ensure they are getting the help they need, including early access to the Work Programme.
	If further help is needed, local authorities will be able to consider making discretionary housing payments. Additional resources will be made available for this in the right areas to provide short-term, temporary relief to families who may face a variety of challenges. We will provide up to £75 million for this purpose in 2013-14 and a further £45 million in 2014-15.

Housing Benefit

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of (a) the number of families in Poplar and Limehouse constituency who will be affected by the benefit cap to be introduced on 1 April 2013, (b) the number of children so affected and (c) the average level of reduction in benefit rate for those families.

Chris Grayling: The information is not available at parliamentary constituency level.
	On 23 January 2012 the Department published an updated Impact Assessment for the household benefit cap, which estimated that in Great Britain 67,000 households would be affected by the cap in the first year of its implementation (the financial year 2013-14).
	Following the concessions made in the House of Commons on 1 February, we estimate that the introduction of an exemption for those in receipt of the support component of employment support allowance and a grace period of 39 weeks for claimants who have been in employment for 52 weeks or more before leaving work will reduce the number of households affected by the cap to around 57,000.
	This assumes that the situation of these households will go unchanged, and they will not take any steps to either work enough hours to qualify for working tax credit, renegotiate their rent in situ, or find alternative accommodation. In all cases the Department is working to support households through this transition, using existing provision through Jobcentre Plus and the Work Programme to move as many into work as possible.

Housing Benefit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether it is his policy that universal credit claimants whose housing costs payments switch to being paid directly to their landlord should switch back after a period to being paid to the tenant; and if so (a) after what period and (b) in what circumstances he proposes the switch back should occur.

Chris Grayling: There are no plans to automatically resume direct payment to the tenant after a fixed period, but we envisage having a process of periodic reviews of whether a tenant is able to manage their own finances.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to reply to the letter of 16 April 2012 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Novlyn McFarquhar.

Chris Grayling: I refer the right hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 11 June 2012, Official Report, column 268W.

Occupational Pensions

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans his Department has to seek the views of employers participating in the early stages of the automatic enrolment implementation scheme as part of the Workplace Pension Reform Evaluation Strategy.

Steve Webb: The Department for Work and Pensions published its plans for evaluating the Workplace Pension Reforms on 4 July 2011, available at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2011-2012/rrep764.pdf
	Early insight into employer views forms a key part of the Department’s evaluation plans. It will be captured using the Department’s qualitative research with employers and the pension regulator’s quarterly employer research. This will be supported by the Department’s 2011 and 2013 quantitative employer pension provision surveys.
	As well as inclusion in evaluation reports, information will also be made public through publications linked to each of the data sources used. The pensions regulator’s spring and autumn 2011 reports form part of the baseline against which to assess employer views and will be included in the first evaluation report that will be published in July 2012.
	http://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/docs/ecr-tracker-research-report.pdf
	http://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/docs/ecr-employer-tracker-research-2011.pdf

Occupational Pensions

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria the Workplace Pension Reform Evaluation Strategy will use to measure the effects of automatic enrolment.

Steve Webb: The Department for Work and Pensions published its plans for evaluating the workplace pension reforms on 4 July 2011, available at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2011-2012/rrep764.pdf
	The evaluation strategy is structured around eight key evaluation questions which will assess the effects of the reforms against the intermediate policy objective of getting more people to save for their retirement and the long-term objective to increase pensioner incomes, reduce pensioner poverty and improve living standards for pensioners. The evaluation questions were developed by a cross-Government steering group. Views on the scope and the more technical methodologies for measuring the effects of automatic enrolment were also sought from a range of stakeholders including organisations representing employers and individuals, pension providers, academics and research organisations.
	The workplace pension reforms baseline evaluation report will be published in July 2012 at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rrs-index.asp
	The report aims to describe the landscape before the implementation of the reforms in the context of the evaluation questions. This will be the first in a series of annual publications.

Occupational Pensions

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department has taken to minimise the industry-specific administrative obligations of auto-enrolment for (a) agency workers and (b) agencies who frequently change position.

Steve Webb: Automatic enrolment into a workplace pension scheme is designed to tackle the problem of increased longevity coupled with widespread under saving for retirement. It extends the opportunity to save for retirement to moderate to low earners, those individuals who would not usually have access to an employer's pension, and those who work in employment sectors that have tended not to provide pension schemes. This includes people who use temporary work as a stop gap between permanent employment, a stepping stone into permanent employment and those who choose agency work as a preferred working pattern.
	In the case of employment agencies, the automatic enrolment duty rests with the Agency. The Agency—rather than the client company(ies) with whom the person is placed—will automatically enrol a temporary worker and calculate contributions on wages payable. The duty continues while the person is employed by that Agency, irrespective of a change of client(s) to whom the person is assigned, unless the person opts out.
	Following the recommendations of the independent ‘Making Automatic Enrolment Work’ Review commissioned by the coalition Government, we have taken significant steps to minimise the administrative burdens of the workplace pension reforms for all employers. These include introducing an automatic enrolment earnings trigger set above the point from which contributions are calculated to reduce the problem of penny packet contributions. For this tax year we have aligned the automatic enrolment rates with existing payroll thresholds to simplify the administrative burden. And we have provided for an optional waiting period which allows an employer to defer a worker's automatic enrolment date by up to three months. This is intended, in particular, to benefit those employers, including agencies, who employ temporary workers.

Occupational Pensions

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the (a) cost and (b) administrative burden of opt-outs from the automatic enrolment regulations for temporary workers.

Steve Webb: Our approach to assessing the cost and burden of automatic enrolment on business was to look at the impact on business as a whole, including the agency worker sector.
	Our estimates of administrative costs for opt-out and associated refunds for all employers suggest the costs are around £14 million in year one and £3 million in ongoing years. These figures are in 2011-12 earnings terms.

Occupational Pensions

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 27 March 2012, Official Report, column 1044W, on occupational pensions, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that the Workplace Pension Reforms Evaluation Strategy is suited to smaller employers.

Steve Webb: The Department for Work and Pensions published its plans for evaluating the workplace pension reforms on 4 July 2011, available at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2011-2012/rrep764.pdf
	The Department is committed to a full evaluation of the impact of the workplace pension reforms. Analysis will draw on a range of information, such as management information reports, existing continuous surveys of individuals and employers, panel data, and where appropriate, research commissioned by the Department. It will therefore be possible to measure outcomes at different stages, and by a range of employer characteristics, including analysis by employer size.
	The baseline evaluation report based on the Workplace Pension Reforms Evaluation Strategy will be published in July 2012 and will describe the landscape before the implementation of the reforms, including analysis by employer size. It will also contain a comprehensive list of data sources.

Older Workers

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people between the ages of 60 and 65 claiming pension credit were eligible for jobseeker's allowance in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Steve Webb: We do not have the information available. Men between the pension credit qualifying age and their own state pension age can choose to claim either pension credit or jobseeker's allowance provided they meet the eligibility conditions.
	
		
			 Males aged 60 to 64 claiming pension credit in Great Britain 
			  Number of males 
			 November 2011 214,880 
			 November 2010 237,410 
			 Notes: 1. Figures provided assume that pension credit is available from age 60. However, the qualifying age for pension credit is increasing in line with the increase in women's state pension age. At November 2011 the qualifying age for pension credit was between 60 and 10 months and 60 and 11 months, at November 2010 the qualifying age for pension credit was between 60 and three months and 60 and four months. Current data do not allow analysis that takes account of the increase in qualifying age. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. 4. These data are available on the Departments tabulation tool at http://83.244.183.180/100pc/tabtool.html

Pensioners: Poverty

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of pensioners in Wales aged 75 years or over live in relative poverty.

Steve Webb: Estimates on the proportion of pensioners in poverty are published in the Households Below Average Income series, including breakdowns separately by region and by age.
	The latest poverty statistics for 2010-11 can be found on the Department’s website at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/hbai/hbai2011/index.php ?page=contents
	Information on relative poverty by age and country or region combined, however, is not available.

Personal Independence Payment

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how people in receipt of disability living allowance who reach retirement age shortly after the introduction of the personal independence payment will be treated if there is insufficient time between the introduction of the personal independence payment and the point at which they retire to complete the application and assessment processes.

Maria Miller: All existing claimants to disability living allowance (DLA), who are aged between 16 and 64 when personal independence payment (PIP) is introduced on 8 April 2013, will be invited to claim PIP and will be assessed for the new benefit if they choose to claim it.
	As set out in our ongoing consultation, ‘DLA reform and Personal Independence Payment - completing the detailed design’, we will begin to reassess existing DLA claimants from October 2013. Therefore anyone reassessed for entitlement to PIP who is over the age of 65 at the time they are assessed will have their eligibility determined according to their age on 8 April 2013. These arrangements will ensure that individuals are able to access all components of PIP without any age restriction applying, even if their needs have increased since reaching age 65. This ensures everyone is treated equally irrespective of their age at the time of their reassessment.

Poverty

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of (a) children, (b) pensioners and (c) households were living in poverty in (i) York, (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber, (iii) England and (iv) the UK in each year since 1992.

Steve Webb: Data for York are unavailable due to insufficient sample size, data on a consistent basis are unavailable for GB, England and Yorkshire and Humberside before 1994-95 and not available for the UK before 1998-99.
	Tables 1 to 3 as follows show the numbers and proportion of children, pensioners and households falling below 60% of contemporary median equivalised income both Before and After Housing Costs.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number and proportion of children living in households below 60% of median equivalised household income, Before and After Housing Costs, 1994-95 to 2010-11 
			 Before Housing Costs 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber England United Kingdom 
			  Number Proportion Number Proportion Number Proportion 
			 1994-95 to 1996-97 0.3 31 2.7 25 — — 
			 1995-96 to 1997-98 0.3 30 2.7 25 — — 
			 1996-97 to 1998-99 0.4 32 2.9 26 — — 
			 1997-98 to 1999-2000 0.4 32 2.8 26 — — 
			 1998-99 to 2000-01 0.3 30 2.7 24 3.3 25 
			 1999-2000 to 2001-02 0.3 29 2.6 23 3.2 24 
			 2000-01 to 2002-03 0.3 27 2.4 22 3.0 23 
			 2001-02 to 2003-04 0.3 26 2.4 22 2.9 23 
			 2002-03 to 2004-05 0.3 25 2.3 22 2.9 22 
			 2003-04 to 2005-06 0.3 25 2.3 22 2.8 22 
			 2004-05 to 2006-07 0.3 25 2.3 22 2.8 22 
			 2005-06 to 2007-08 0.3 26 2.4 22 2.9 22 
			 2006-07 to 2008-09 0.3 26 2.4 22 2.8 22 
			 2007-08 to 2009-10 0.3 26 2.3 21 2.7 21 
			 2008-09 to 2010-11 0.3 25 2.1 19 2.5 20 
		
	
	
		
			 After Housing Costs 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber England United Kingdom 
			  Number Proportion Number Proportion Number Proportion 
			 1994-95 to 1996-97 0.4 35 3.6 33 — — 
			 1995-96 to 1997-98 0.4 35 3.6 33 — — 
			 1996-97 to 1998-99 0.4 36 3.7 34 — — 
			 1997-98 to 1999-2000 0.4 36 3.7 33 — — 
			 1998-99 to 2000-01 0.4 35 3.6 33 4.3 33 
			 1999-2000 to 2001-02 0.4 33 3.4 31 4.1 31 
			 2000-01 to 2002-03 0.4 32 3.3 30 4.0 30 
			 2001-02 to 2003-04 0.4 32 3.2 30 3.9 30 
			 2002-03 to 2004-05 0.3 31 3.2 29 3.7 29 
			 2003-04 to 2005-06 0.3 30 3.2 29 3.7 29 
			 2004-05 to 2006-07 0.3 29 3.2 30 3.8 30 
			 2005-06 to 2007-08 0.3 30 3.4 31 3.9 30 
			 2006-07 to 2008-09 0.3 31 3.4 31 3.9 31 
			 2007-08 to 2009-10 0.4 32 3.3 31 3.9 30 
			 2008-09 to 2010-11 0.3 32 3.2 29 3.7 29 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number and proportion of pensioners living in households below 60% of median equivalised household income, Before and After Housing Costs, 1994-95 to 2010-11 
			 Before Housing Costs 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber England United Kingdom 
			  Number Proportion Number Proportion Number Proportion 
			 1994-95 to 1996-97 0.2 28 2.0 24 — — 
			 1995-96 to 1997-98 0.2 28 2.1 24 — — 
			 1996-97 to 1998-99 0.3 30 2.2 25 — — 
		
	
	
		
			 1997-98 to 1999-2000 0.3 30 2.2 26 — — 
			 1998-99 to 2000-01 0.3 29 2.2 25 2.6 26 
			 1999-2000 to 2001-02 0.2 28 2.2 25 2.6 25 
			 2000-01 to 2002-03 0.2 27 2.2 25 2.6 25 
			 2001-02 to 2003-04 0.2 25 2.1 24 2.5 24 
			 2002-03 to 2004-05 0.2 24 2.0 23 2.4 23 
			 2003-04 to 2005-06 0.2 22 1.9 21 2.3 22 
			 2004-05 to 2006-07 0.2 24 1.9 22 2.3 22 
			 2005-06 to 2007-08 0.2 25 2.0 22 2.4 22 
			 2006-07 to 2008-09 0.2 25 2.0 22 2.4 22 
			 2007-08 to 2009-10 0.2 23 1.9 20 2.3 20 
			 2008-09 to 2010-11 0.2 21 1.8 18 2.1 19 
		
	
	
		
			 After Housing Costs 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber England United Kingdom 
			  Number Proportion Number Proportion Number Proportion 
			 1994-95 to 1996-97 0.3 30 2.4 28 — — 
			 1995-96 to 1997-98 0.3 31 2.4 29 — — 
			 1996-97 to 1998-99 0.3 32 2.5 29 — — 
			 1997-98 to 1999-2000 0.3 32 2.5 29 — — 
			 1998-99 to 2000-01 0.3 31 2.4 28 2.8 27 
			 1999-2000 to 2001-02 0.3 29 2.3 27 2.7 26 
			 2000-01 to 2002-03 0.2 26 2.2 26 2.6 25 
			 2001-02 to 2003-04 0.2 24 2.1 24 2.5 23 
			 2002-03 to 2004-05 0.2 20 1.8 21 2.2 21 
			 2003-04 to 2005-06 0.2 17 1.6 18 2.0 18 
			 2004-05 to 2006-07 0.2 17 1.6 18 1.9 18 
			 2005-06 to 2007-08 0.2 18 1.7 18 2.0 18 
			 2006-07 to 2008-09 0.2 19 1.7 18 2.0 18 
			 2007-08 to 2009-10 0.2 18 1.6 17 1.9 16 
			 2008-09 to 2010-11 0.2 17 1.5 15 1.7 15 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: Number and proportion of households living in households below 60% of median equivalised household income, Before and After Housing Costs, 1994-95 to 2010-11 
			 Before Housing Costs 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber England United Kingdom 
			  Number Proportion Number Proportion Number Proportion 
			 1994-95 to 1996-97 0.5 23 3.8 19 — — 
			 1995-96 to 1997-98 0.5 23 3.9 19 — — 
			 1996-97 to 1998-99 0.5 25 4.1 20 — — 
			 1997-98 to 1999-2000 0.5 24 4.1 20 — — 
			 1998-99 to 2000-01 0.5 24 4.1 20 4.9 20 
			 1999-2000 to 2001-02 0.5 23 4.1 20 4.8 20 
			 2000-01 to 2002-03 0.5 22 4.0 19 4.8 20 
			 2001-02 to 2003-04 0.5 21 4.0 19 4.8 20 
			 2002-03 to 2004-05 0.4 20 3.9 19 4.8 19 
			 2003-04 to 2005-06 0.4 20 3.9 18 4.7 19 
			 2004-05 to 2006-07 0.4 20 3.9 18 4.8 19 
			 2005-06 to 2007-08 0.4 20 4.0 19 4.9 19 
			 2006-07 to 2008-09 0.5 21 4.1 19 5.0 19 
			 2007-08 to 2009-10 0.5 21 4.1 18 4.9 19 
			 2008-09 to 2010-11 0.5 20 4.0 18 4.8 18 
		
	
	
		
			 After Housing Costs 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber England United Kingdom 
			  Number Proportion Number Proportion Number Proportion 
			 1994-95 to 1996-97 0.6 27 5.2 26 — — 
			 1995-96 to 1997-98 0.6 27 5.2 26 — — 
			 1996-97 to 1998-99 0.6 28 5.3 26 — — 
			 1997-98 to 1999-2000 0.6 28 5.2 26 — — 
		
	
	
		
			 1998-99 to 2000-01 0.6 27 5.2 25 6.1 25 
			 1999-2000 to 2001-02 0.5 26 5.0 24 5.9 24 
			 2000-01 to 2002-03 0.5 25 4.9 24 5.8 24 
			 2001-02 to 2003-04 0.5 24 4.8 23 5.7 23 
			 2002-03 to 2004-05 0.5 22 4.6 22 5.5 22 
			 2003-04 to 2005-06 0.4 21 4.5 21 5.4 21 
			 2004-05 to 2006-07 0.4 20 4.6 21 5.4 21 
			 2005-06 to 2007-08 0.5 21 4.7 22 5.6 22 
			 2006-07 to 2008-09 0.5 22 4.8 22 5.8 22 
			 2007-08 to 2009-10 0.5 23 4.9 22 5.8 22 
			 2008-09 to 2010-11 0.5 23 4.9 22 5.8 22

Remploy: Redundancy Pay

Conor Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average maximum redundancy payments are for staff employed in Remploy factories under his proposals for closure of Remploy factories.

Maria Miller: Remploy began collective consultation with employee representatives on 19 March 2012 on the proposal by the Remploy Board to close 36 factories. As part of collective consultation, the Remploy Board will consider all proposals to avoid compulsory redundancy. The proposed redundancy terms that will be offered to any Remploy employee who is, in the event, made redundant are under discussion as part of the collective consultation process. No final decisions have been made.

Social Security Benefits

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if his Department will inform local authorities of estimated numbers of benefit recipients that may move to their areas following the proposed reduction in support for housing costs through local housing allowance and universal credit.

Steve Webb: It is not possible to provide reliable estimates of the number of benefit recipients who may change address as a result of the reform of local housing allowance. There is high mobility in the private rented sector, where the median length of tenancy is 12 months. Tenants may move across local authority boundaries for a number of reasons unconnected with welfare reform.
	We are committed to a thorough evaluation of changes to local housing allowance including the impacts on people moving home. The interim report will be published around the end of 2012.

Social Security Benefits: Fibromyalgia

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has considered recognising fibromyalgia in the benefits system.

Maria Miller: The Department recognises fibromyalgia as a potentially significantly disabling condition.
	Where a clinical diagnosis of fibromyalgia has been made, full account will be taken of its disabling effects in determining eligibility for benefits.

Statutory Sick Pay

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has any plans to reassess the eligibility criteria for statutory sickness pay.

Chris Grayling: There are no plans to make changes to the eligibility criteria for statutory sick pay.

Trade Union Officials

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many days were used by trade union representatives in his Department for facility time in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and what estimate he has made of the total cost to the public purse of the associated salary costs.

Chris Grayling: The information is as follows.
	(1) The Department for Work and Pensions is a large Government Department employing approximately 100,000 staff in a large network of sites across the country.
	The amount of time available for use as facility time by TU representatives is a maximum of 0.2% of the Department's full-time equivalent (FTE) staffing level at 1 April each year.
	(a) For the year 2010-11, this was 48,000 days out of a total of 24 million staff days.
	(b) For the year 2011-12, this was 43,000 days out of a total of 22 million staff days.
	In addition, 0.08% facility time is available for use by Union Learning Representatives. For 2010-11 this was 20,000 days and for 2011-12 this was 17,000 days.
	(2) The estimated maximum total cost of the 0.28% is:
	(a) For 2010-11—£7.6 million from a total pay bill of £3 billion
	(b) For 2011-12—£6.7 million from a total pay bill of £2.7 billion.
	All figures have been rounded and salary costs are based on average salaries.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much of the £2 billion funding allocated to universal credit he expects to spend on transitional protection in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.
	We will offer transitional protection to universal credit recipients, which will ensure that households will not receive less as a result of their move to universal credit, where circumstances have remained the same. Existing claimants, whose circumstances have not changed, will start to be transferred to universal credit in a process managed by DWP from 2014. Consequently we do not expect to spend on Transitional Protection in 2013-14.
	Final decisions are still to be made on the migration strategy for 2014-15 and beyond.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much of the £2 billion funding allocated to universal credit he expects to spend in total in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

Chris Grayling: Based on current plans, the universal credit programme is forecasting to spend £0.6 billion in 2013-14 and £1 billion in 2014-15.

Wind Power: Accidents

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many wind turbine accidents there have been in each of the last five years; how many such accidents involved the (a) shattering of blades, (b) scattering of debris and (c) collapse of the turbine tower; and what was reason was given for each such accident in each such year.

Chris Grayling: HSE does not collect data in the form requested for wind turbine accidents. However, HSE is aware of two fatal accidents at wind turbines in the last five reporting years and a further two in that period involving transportation activities associated with the wind turbine industry. All four of these fatalities were on shore and involved people at work. None of them involved shattering blades, scattering of debris or the collapse of a turbine tower.
	The reasons recorded for the two fatal accidents at wind turbines are:
	In May 2007, a worker fell from a ladder inside a wind turbine tower. His fall arrest system failed and he sustained a fatal skull fracture.
	In September 2009, a worker was working in the machinery enclosure at the top of the turbine tower of an operating wind turbine. The guarding was missing from the rotating main turbine shaft and he became entangled with it and was crushed.
	The reasons recorded for the two fatal accidents involving transportation of wind turbines are:
	In March 2008, a transporter vehicle that had transported replacement turbine blades to a wind farm was reversing off the site when it reversed over a worker.
	In May 2010, wind turbine blades delivered by sea were being loaded onto a transport cradle at the dock when the cradle collapsed and a blade fell on a worker.

TREASURY

Bank Services

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of savings bank accounts with passbooks which are owned by pensioners;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of savings bank accounts with passbooks which offer less than 1 per cent interest.

Mark Hoban: The information requested is not held by HM Treasury.
	The interest rates offered on savings accounts and the way in which accounts are accessed by the saver are a commercial decision for providers and as such vary. Commercial interest rates are related to the Bank Rate, which the Bank of England has operational independence to set. It is charged with meeting the Government's inflation target, helping to deliver price stability.
	In addition, the Government has set up the Money Advice Service to help consumers identify their individual financial needs, to make sure that those who can afford to save are equipped to navigate the financial services market with confidence. The Money Advice Service publishes comparative tables of savings accounts and the interest rates offered. These tables can be found at:
	www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk

Bank Services

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to make savers aware of ways to achieve better rates of interest from banks.

Mark Hoban: The Government has taken steps to improve transparency for consumers in the savings market. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has introduced improved transparency standards for the way banks keep their customers informed about changes in interest rates on instant-access savings accounts. Banks must now tell their customers about any changes to interest rates on their current and instant-access savings accounts. They also have to give customers two months' notice before reducing an interest rate, unless it is to the customer's advantage, or it tracks a reference rate (for example the Bank of England Rate).
	Since May 2010, banks should also notify customers of other types of savings accounts, such as notice accounts and cash ISAs, of the expiry of an introductory, promotional or preferential rate of interest or a ‘material change' to the rate of interest that will be to the disadvantage of the consumer. The notification should refer to any comparable accounts offered by the bank and indicate, if eligible, that the banking customer may move to an account offered by another bank (BCOBS 4.1.2).
	In addition, the Government has set up the Money Advice Service to help consumers identify their individual financial needs, to make sure that those who can afford to save are equipped to navigate the financial services market with confidence. The Money Advice Service publishes comparative tables of savings accounts and the interest rates offered. These tables can be found at:
	www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk
	Budget 2012 committed the Money Advice Service to develop and introduce web-based resources to show consumers when ISA bonus rates are ending.

Capital Investment

Julian Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to promote the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme.

David Gauke: Officials from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs have promoted the scheme at a number of events, with business angels and entrepreneur groups, in London, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
	The Treasury is working to ensure that the scheme will be included in promotions, guidance and events held by the Government on support for small and medium-sized enterprises. The Treasury will also be working with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to ensure that the information is disseminated widely.

Child Benefit

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what process HM Revenue and Customs is developing to share income information between partners or ex-partners in situations in respect of eligibility for child benefit where they are unwilling or unable to share the information themselves.

David Gauke: HMRC is developing the details of the process that will enable a taxpayer to establish whether they or their partner or ex-partner will be liable to pay the new High Income Child Benefit Charge. HMRC will provide a yes or no answer to a question about the level of the partner's or ex-partner's income in relation to the income level of the taxpayer making the inquiry. Actual details of income will not be provided. The taxpayer may also ask a question about whether child benefit was paid to their partner or ex-partner and will also receive a yes or no answer.
	HMRC guidance will set out the precise wording of the questions that it will be able to answer.

Child Care Tax Credit

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department expects to save through reduced expenditure on the childcare element of working tax credit following the extension of provision for disadvantaged two-year-olds to 40 per cent of two-year-olds; and whether he expects to use these savings to extend entitlement to childcare through the tax credits system.

David Gauke: This information is not available.

Credit

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider allowing bad debt to be written-off against profits in peer-to-peer lending schemes; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: The tax treatment of peer-to-peer lenders depends on the classification of the lending activity. Relief for bad debts is available only when the loan is made as part of a trade of making loans. For most people who lend through peer-to-peer platforms, their lending is generally classified as an investment activity, for which income tax relief for losses is not permitted. Where the loan is made to a trader, and becomes irrecoverable, there is relief in the form of an allowable loss for capital gains tax.

Engineers

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many engineers in each profession were employed in his Department in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chloe Smith: There are no posts in HM Treasury that formally require an engineering qualification. There may be staff who hold such a qualification but as this information is not held centrally it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Environment Protection: Research

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will increase publicly funded research and development in low-carbon technologies for the purposes of promoting economic growth.

Chloe Smith: The Government set out their plans for public spending at the Spending Review in 2010. It is for each Department to determine its expenditure on research and development.

Excise Duties: Fuels

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of not proceeding with the planned three pence fuel duty increase;
	(2)  whether his Department has assessed the likely effect of reducing fuel duty on the level of revenue accruing to the Exchequer; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether his Department has assessed the likely effect of reducing fuel duty on the level of employment in the UK; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what assessment his Department has made of the likely effect of the forthcoming three pence fuel duty increase on the number of (a) jobs in the UK, (b) people who stop using their vehicle entirely and (c) people who reduce use of their vehicle.

Chloe Smith: Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) certified forecasts of the fiscal impacts of government policy decisions are presented at Budget and autumn statement. The OBR reported in September 2010 that changing fuel duty by one pence a litre has an effect on the public finances of around £500 million.
	The Chancellor routinely considers the fiscal implications of tax policy options as part of the annual Budget process.
	The effects of fuel prices, which include oil prices, refinery margins and tax, on inflation, the economy and employment are assessed by the OBR as part of its economic and fiscal forecasts:
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk
	Data on driving by households are monitored as part of the National Travel Survey led by the Department for Transport.

Finance Act 2008

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people had to pay additional tax following the coming into force of section 58(4) of the Finance Act 2008; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: UK residents are taxable on their worldwide income wherever it arises—including situations where it arises by way of foreign partnerships. Section 58 of Finance Act 2008 was enacted to help put that beyond doubt and in so doing, made clear that a wholly artificial tax avoidance scheme involving a foreign partnership comprised of foreign trustees did not work. As section 58 retrospectively clarified existing legislation, its introduction had no affect on any taxpayers' tax position.

Individual Savings Accounts

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider (a) allowing children born between 2002 and 2011 to invest in junior individual savings accounts instead of child trust funds and (b) allowing those who already have child trust funds to seal the fund until their 18th birthday and to then open a junior individual savings account.

Mark Hoban: The Government has no immediate plans to allow a Junior ISA to be opened on behalf of a child who is eligible for a Child Trust Fund.
	There are currently around 5.7 million Child Trust Fund accounts, with a total value of approximately £4.4 billion. The market continues to grow steadily and, so long as CTF account holders continue to exercise their right to switch accounts where appropriate, there will continue to be an impetus for providers to compete. We do not believe that the majority of the 5.7 million children with a Child Trust Fund would benefit from a change in rules at the present time.
	As with all features of the tax system, the Government will keep under review whether or not action is necessary in the future.

Low Associates

Diane Abbott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has received any representations from Low Associates since May 2010.

Chloe Smith: Treasury Ministers and officials receive a wide variety of representations from both the organisations in the public and private sectors.
	Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings and external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm

New Businesses

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fiscal measures he has taken to encourage small business start-ups.

David Gauke: The Government have introduced a number of fiscal measures to encourage small business start-ups.
	The Government have launched the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme, which encourages investment into new early stage companies by providing tax relief for individuals who invest in qualifying seed companies from April 2012.
	To kick-start the scheme, the Government are offering a one-year capital gains tax holiday: gains realised on the disposal of assets in 2012-13 that are invested in the same year in shares qualifying for SEIS income tax relief will be exempt from CGT.
	In addition, the Government announced at Budget 2012 that they will improve and reform the Enterprise Management Incentive scheme, which helps SMEs recruit and retain talent, by providing additional support to help start-ups access the scheme, by consulting on amending restrictions that currently prevent the scheme being used by academics employed by start-ups, and by more than doubling the individual grant limit to £250,000.

New Businesses

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what tax reliefs are in place to help promote entrepreneurship.

David Gauke: The Government offer a number of tax reliefs to help promote entrepreneurship.
	Entrepreneurs' relief provides a lower 10% rate of capital gains tax for entrepreneurs who meet the qualifying criteria of the scheme. At Budget 2011 the Government announced a doubling of the lifetime limit to £10 million, which came into force in April 2011.
	The Enterprise Investment Scheme and Venture Capital Trusts provide various forms of tax relief to incentivise investment into qualifying small companies and the company investment limit has more than doubled from £2 million to £5 million from April this year.
	In addition, the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme was introduced this year and offers a generous income tax relief of 50% for individuals investing in qualifying start-ups.

Public Sector: Pay

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people discovered to be off-payroll by his review of the tax arrangements of public sector appointees were earning more than (a) £100,000, (b) £142,500 and (c) £150,000 per annum.

Danny Alexander: On 23 May, I announced the findings of the ‘Review of the Tax Arrangements of Public Sector Appointees’. This set out the extent of senior off payroll engagements across Government—and made recommendations to ensure that Government employers can assure themselves that their senior off payroll staff are meeting their tax obligations.
	The review identified over 2,400 engagements that cost central Government Departments and their arm's length bodies more than £58,200 per annum. As set out in the review, the majority of these individuals are paid on a daily basis—and of these around 70% of engagements involved a daily cost to the Department of more than £400 and around 25% involved a daily cost of more than £600.
	The review did not, however, calculate the total number of appointees earning more than a certain figure per annum. Around 85% of the individuals identified were paid via an intermediary such as an employment agency—and it was therefore not possible to determine with certainty the amount of money paid to the individual, as opposed to the intermediary, over a one year period.

Revenue and Customs

Simon Hart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average waiting time is for answer to calls to the HM Revenue and Customs helpline.

David Gauke: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Walthamstow (Stella Creasy) on 30 April 2012, Official Report, column 1208W.

Revenue and Customs

John Pugh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the £917 million to be re-invested in HM Revenue and Customs by the end of the Parliament has been received by HM Revenue and Customs.

David Gauke: HMRC was voted re-investment funding of £132 million by Parliament in 2011-12 and £191 million in 2012-13 through the Supply Estimate process. Further re-investment funding of £268 million and £326 million is to be included in the Supply Estimates for 2013-14 and 2014-15 respectively.

Revenue and Customs

John Pugh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the estimated £7 billion expected to be recovered each year by HM Revenue and Customs by 2014-15 will come from receipts of (a) income tax, (b) national insurance contributions, (c) VAT, (d) corporation tax and (e) any other tax.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs’ commitment to deliver £7 billion additional revenue per annum by 2014-15 was not broken down into different taxes. It will come from a range of activity tackling tax evasion, avoidance, fraud and debt.

Revenue and Customs

John Pugh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in reaching the target of recovering an extra £7 billion a year as a result of the £917 million investment in HM Revenue and Customs’ compliance and enforcement units.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs’ commitment in SR10 is to deliver £7 billion additional revenue per annum by 2014-15 and it is on target to deliver that commitment.

Revenue and Customs

John Pugh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how savings made by HM Revenue and Customs through its efficiency programme have been spent.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs is making efficiency savings to deliver a 25% gross overall reduction in running costs in the period 2011-12 to 2014-15. Of these savings just over £900 million is being reinvested into tackling tax evasion, avoidance, fraud and debt. This will lead to £7 billion additional revenue each year by 2014-15.

Sovereignty: Scotland

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met the Scottish Executive to discuss the role of the Bank of England.

Mark Hoban: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has had no meetings with the Scottish Executive to discuss the role of the Bank of England.

Sovereignty: Scotland

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the membership of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England.

Mark Hoban: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has had no discussions with the Scottish Executive on the Membership of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England.

Sovereignty: Scotland

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from the Scottish Government in relation to membership of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England.

Mark Hoban: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has received no representations from the Scottish Executive in relation to membership of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England.

Sovereignty: Scotland

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what correspondence (a) he, (b) his Ministers and (c) his officials have had with the Scottish Executive on the membership of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England; and if he will place any such correspondence in the Library.

Mark Hoban: The Chancellor of the Exchequer, his Ministers and his officials have had no correspondence with the Scottish Executive on the membership of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England.

Tax Allowances

Christopher Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he has made in implementing arrangements for transferable tax allowances where one earner is unable to work because of illness but is not eligible for state benefits.

David Gauke: The Government's commitment to bringing forward a proposal to recognise marriage through the tax and welfare system remains firm. We want to show we value commitment and will consider a range of options and bring proposals forward at the appropriate time.

Tax Allowances: Charitable Donations

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was claimed in tax relief for charitable giving by (a) the corporate sector and (b) private individuals in each of the last five years.

David Gauke: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) HMRC does not have data on the amount of relief for charitable giving claimed by the corporate sector.
	(b) Data on the costs of reliefs for individuals, where it is possible to make an accurate estimate of these costs, are published at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/charities/table10-2.pdf

Taxation: Gambling

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his proposal to tax remote gambling companies will apply to companies taking bets on racing which takes place in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Chloe Smith: Under the proposed place of consumption based taxation regime, companies will pay tax on the gross profits they generate from bets made on racing by customers in the United Kingdom, no matter where in the world the racing takes place or where the companies are located.
	The Government launched a consultation on the proposed design characteristics of the remote gambling taxation reform on 5 April 2012. The consultation closes on 28 June 2012.

Taxation: Multinational Companies

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the potential effect of reforms to the Controlled Foreign Companies regime on developing countries;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of reduced revenue from corporation tax arising from his proposed changes to the Controlled Foreign Companies regime from companies which would have paid more corporation tax had those reforms not been made;
	(3)  with reference to page 14 of the Budget 2012 Policy Costings document, what proportion of the Exchequer impact scored at Budget 2012 resulting from reforms to the Controlled Foreign Companies regime was due to changes to the (a) policy detail, (b) modelling and (c) data;
	(4)  with reference to page 14 of the Budget Policy costings document, what the changes to modelling and data were which made a difference to the costing of reforms to the Controlled Foreign Companies regime between Budget 2011 and Budget 2012;
	(5)  what estimate he has made of additional revenue from corporation tax that will arise from companies not leaving the UK as a result of the reforms to the Controlled Foreign Companies regime proposed in the Budget 2012;
	(6)  how much corporation tax he expects to receive from companies returning to the UK as a result of the reforms to the Controlled Foreign Companies regime announced in Budget 2012.

David Gauke: The Government has not undertaken an assessment of the effect on developing countries of the proposed changes to the CFC rules as these rules are designed to protect the UK Exchequer by preventing artificial diversion of UK profits.
	Such an impact assessment would need to focus primarily on the nature of tax regimes in developing countries and the interactions of multinational companies with those tax systems, making it an assessment not of our tax rules, but of the tax rules of those other countries. The Government do not think that such an assessment would be feasible.
	The cost of changes to the Controlled Foreign Companies (CFC) rules were set out in table 2.1 and 2.2 of Budget 2012. The total cost of £910 million in 2018-19 is detailed in the 2012 Policy Costings Document available on the HM Treasury website.
	http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/budget2012_chapter2.pdf
	http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/budget2012_policy_costings.pdf
	The changes to modelling and data referred to on page 14 of the “Budget 2012 Policy Costings” document reflect further analytical work undertaken since Budget 2011 and changes to the detailed policy design. As there is no precise way to separate these impacts they are presented together.
	The costing estimates for the reforms to the Controlled Foreign Companies (CFC) rules do not include an assessment of the impact of groups choosing to remain in the UK or deciding to return to the UK on corporation tax.
	Controlled Foreign Companies (CFC) reform is a key part of the Government's programme of corporate tax reforms. This programme is having a significant impact on the UK's competitiveness and will encourage groups to invest and remain located here.

VAT

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses in Strangford constituency were registered for VAT in the last three years.

David Gauke: No estimate has been made of the number of businesses in Strangford constituency registered for VAT for the last three years.

VAT: Listed Buildings

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will develop plans to provide support for (a) community organisations and (b) charities based in listed buildings which are not listed places of worship and who will be required to pay VAT on alterations to their buildings.

David Gauke: Community organisations and charities based in listed buildings which are not listed places of worship are likely to be eligible for a range of financial support and reliefs.
	Charities benefit from a number of VAT zero rates and exemptions, worth around £200 million. Total reliefs for charities, including Gift Aid, are worth more than £3 billion a year.
	Listed buildings are potentially eligible for a number of sources of financial support, including Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage grants.

Welfare Tax Credits

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has any plans to review its rival claims procedure for tax credit payments.

David Gauke: HMRC have no plans to review its rival claims procedure for tax credit payments.

Working Tax Credit

Margaret Curran: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid to recipients of working tax credit in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09, (iii) 2009-10, (iv) 2010-11 and (v) 2011-12.

David Gauke: The total tax credit entitlement by country of working tax credit recipients can be derived, for each year up to 2010-11 (the latest year for which data are available), using data from HMRC's publications ‘Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics Finalised annual awards. Geographical Analyses’, available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/final-award-geog.htm
	For ease, this information is as follows:
	
		
			 Tax credit entitlement of working tax credit recipients by country 
			 £ billion 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 United Kingdom 12.6 15.2 16,6 17.6 
			 England 10.4 12.6 13.8 14.7 
			 Wales 0.7 0.8 0.9 0.9 
			 Scotland 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 
			 Northern Ireland 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.6 
			 Foreign and not known 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Floods

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the effect of recent floods on (a) farmers, (b) crops and (c) ecosystems.

Richard Benyon: It is too soon for any reasonable and systematic assessment of impacts on farmers, crops and ecosystems to be made. The Environment Agency's priorities are threats to people's lives and property and that is what it is continuing to manage.

Animal Feed: Antibiotics

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on legislation at EU level on the prevention of use of antibiotics in animal food.

James Paice: The Government recognises that all veterinary medicines, including antibiotics, are essential to ensure the health of food-producing animals, but believes that their use should not replace good farm management and animal husbandry systems.
	The Government will seek to ensure that these principles are reflected in the EU legislative framework in the forthcoming reviews of European legislation on animal health and welfare and veterinary medicines.

Animal Welfare Act 2006

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she 
	(1)  has any plans to remove the statutory nature of the codes of practice under section 14 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  has had any discussions with the Animal Health and Welfare Board for England on removing the statutory nature of the codes of practice under section 14 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: The Government recognises that many of the existing codes no longer accurately reflect the latest EU and national rules on animal welfare. We are therefore keen that they be suitably updated and will also be taking the opportunity to explore the scope to reduce unnecessary regulation and bureaucracy, by piloting the potential for new voluntary codes prepared by industry and other relevant stakeholders, but ultimately approved by the Department and the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency. We are beginning with the broiler chicken code, as being one of those that we believe requires more immediate attention. We will of course consult on the draft text when it is ready and the principle of moving to a voluntary basis, before making a final decision. We have already discussed the pilot with the Animal Health and Welfare Board for England and they are fully supportive of the process.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much she expects her Department to spend on the forthcoming judicial review of the badger cull.

James Paice: It is not possible at this stage to predict what the final costs of the judicial review will be.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Worcestershire

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of bovine tuberculosis were confirmed in (a) Worcestershire and (b) Redditch in each of the last two years.

James Paice: TB statistics are broken down to county level. The figures for Hereford and Worcester are as follows. Please note that we do not yet have the final TB breakdown of statistics for individual counties for the whole of 2011.
	
		
			 Hereford and Worcester 
			  2010 2011 (1 January- 31 August) 
			 New TB-infected herds disclosed during the year (herds with OTF status suspended or withdrawn due to a new TB breakdown) 378 214 
		
	
	
		
			 New TB-infected herds disclosed during the year and with OTF status withdrawn (due to post-mortem evidence of Mycobacterium bovis infection) 254 128

Bulls: Disease Control

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she is taking steps to prevent culling of newborn bull calves in the dairy industry.

James Paice: The culling of new born male dairy calves is a consequence of the economic and practical value currently attached to male calves. However, the Government is committed to working with the dairy industry and the Beyond Calf Exports Forum to explore alternatives and to bring about a significant change in attitudes towards incorporating male dairy calves into the UK beef chain. I fully support this and also the efforts of many in the livestock industry and major retailers to promote the use of sexed semen: the latter helps to increase the number of female calves being born and minimises the number of male calves born which might not otherwise be reared for sale.

Business Plans

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress her Department has made in achieving the aims stated in its most recent business plan.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA's May 2011 Business Plan sets out 96 commitments to help deliver our key priorities on the environment, food and rural affairs by May 2015. We have already achieved 72 of these structural reforms. Highlights include:
	A range of measures to support and develop British farming and encourage sustainable food production. These include work to implement the Taylor Review on scientific research in agriculture, the Macdonald Task Force's report to Government on reducing regulatory burdens on farmers and food processors, and the creation of a new Animal Health and Welfare Board for England.
	New plans to enhance the environment and biodiversity to improve quality of life. Building on our landmark analysis of the state of the UK's natural asset base (the National Ecosystems Assessment), DEFRA published its first Natural Environment White Paper in over 20 years in June 2011. This is supported by our ambitious biodiversity strategy for England, which sets out our approach to halting the decline in biodiversity over the next decade.
	Major new support for a strong and sustainable green economy, resilient to climate change. With BIS and DECC, we published the Government's approach to building the green economy, providing clarity for businesses. On waste, we have undertaken a comprehensive review of policies to help people reduce waste and increase recycling. On water, we set out our plans for delivering our vision for future water management in our December 2011 White Paper. Our Climate Change Risk Assessment—a groundbreaking study into the implications of climate change for the UK—is paving the way for future action to adapt to climate change.
	An updated Business Plan was published on 31 May 2012, including further commitments that the Department will deliver. The new plan includes our latest timetables for delivery of each commitment. We will publish an update on progress in implementing our plan on a monthly basis.

Carbon Emissions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what plans her Department has to introduce mandatory carbon emissions reporting;
	(2)  on what evidential basis her Department plans to make decisions on the introduction of mandatory carbon emissions reporting;
	(3)  for what reason the Government did not introduce mandatory carbon emissions reporting by April 2012 under the terms of the Climate Change Act 2008.

Richard Benyon: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is considering extensive evidence that has been gathered over the last few years, which includes results from the public consultation run last summer and a detailed impact assessment, all of which will inform the final decision.
	A report was laid in Parliament on 27 March which outlines why no regulations have been introduced; it states that additional time is required to consider all the evidence and to fully analyse the costs and benefits.

Carbon Emissions: Heating

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has taken steps to promote the use of carbon-neutral wood burning stoves in the home.

Gregory Barker: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
	The Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) currently supports the installation of wood burning stoves in off gas grid dwellings where they are connected to a back boiler and supply the majority of space heating in the home.
	In September 2012, we will consult on how we can support renewable heating for households over the longer term.

Cattle: Parasitic Diseases

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the effect of increasing cases of fluke in grazing cattle on farmers.

James Paice: Trends in endemic diseases in GB livestock, such as liver fluke infection, are monitored by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) under DEFRA's Scanning Surveillance Programme in collaboration with the Scottish Agricultural Colleges Veterinary Services (SAC VS). Changes in risks associated with these diseases are assessed and reported to interested parties, including cattle industry representatives. Quarterly Emerging Threats Reports are available on the AHVLA website at:
	http://vla.defra.gov.uk/science/sci_emerg_diseases.htm
	The diagnosis of liver fluke infection is based on the submission of animal samples by vets or farmers (under the advice of their vet) to AHVLA or SAC laboratories. Liver fluke is not a notifiable disease in cattle and there are no statutory controls for this disease.
	A recent Emerging Threats Report highlighted an increased risk of liver fluke infection in cattle in Scotland, north west England and Wales. This is associated with higher rainfall in these areas, which enhances the life cycle of the liver fluke. The AHVLA and SAC VS will continue to monitor the risk this year, and keep the farming industry updated. Farmers will then be able to decide what prevention measures and treatment they wish to apply, in consultation with their vet.

Cattle: Parasitic Diseases

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the incidence of bovine neosporosis in cattle.

James Paice: Neosporosis may be defined as either the infection of cattle by Neospora caninum, or the disease caused in some of those infected cattle, as infection in some animals is clinically unapparent. Abortion, usually in the second half of pregnancy, is the principal manifestation of disease. There are no data to indicate the number of infected cattle in Britain (prevalence of infection). Regular diagnoses of bovine abortion due to neosporosis are made in the diagnostic laboratories of the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) and Scottish Agricultural Colleges (SAC). These data are collated and published annually (The Veterinary Investigation Surveillance Report or VIDA):
	http://vla.defra.gov.uk/reports/rep_vida.htm
	In the last 10 years there has been an average of 260 diagnoses of bovine abortion due to neosporosis per year—range 383 (2002) to 114 (2011).

Coastal Areas

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  with reference to Adapting to Coastal Change: Developing a Policy Framework, what plans she has to finalise a national coastal change policy;
	(2)  when she expects to finalise her national coastal change policy.

Richard Benyon: ‘Adapting to Coastal Change: Developing a Policy Framework' provides a first step in the evolution of a policy framework on adapting to coastal change. The ongoing work of the coastal change adaptation pathfinders will help shape the timetable for future development of coastal change policy.
	The Government have existing policies, guidance and information in place that forms the basis for our response to national coastal change. These include the Environment Agency's National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England; Partnership funding for Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management; the National Planning Policy Framework; a Coastal Erosion Assistance Grant; Shoreline Management Plans; and National Coastal risk mapping data, which are available to the public.

Coastal Areas

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much of the £11 million from the Coastal Change Fund provided to local authorities in 2009 to deal with coastal erosion has been spent on local coastal erosion projects.

Richard Benyon: Of the £11 million, a total of £10,925,000 was given to 15 local authorities to take forward coastal change adaptation pathfinder projects in 2009 and 2010. The remaining £75,000 was given to the Environment Agency under the coastal erosion assistance grant scheme. This grant can be drawn on by local authorities to support home owners' costs associated with the demolition of properties at imminent risk of coastal erosion.
	Approximately £6 million of the coastal change pathfinder funding has been spent to date. The majority of the remaining allocated funding is committed to ongoing pathfinder-related capital projects, with one authority needing to resolve local issues before its project can proceed further. Due to local authority funding pressures approximately £300,000 of the total non-ring fenced funding provided was used on non-coastal projects.

Common Agricultural Policy

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what priority she places on simplification of policy in her negotiations on reform of the common agricultural policy; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and I see the need to simplify the common agricultural policy as a high priority. The UK wants a simplified system for farmers and for administrations with any new requirements justified by the public benefits they deliver. The Commission’s current proposals such as those on capping, active farmers, greening pillar 1 and new audit requirements are likely to add substantially to the administrative burden for farmers and administrators alike, without an appropriate corresponding increase in public benefits. We are therefore working hard to influence the Commission, European Parliament and other member states to achieve an outcome more in line with UK views.

Common Agricultural Policy

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what her Department’s policy is on the three crop rule for arable farmers proposed as part of reform of the common agricultural policy;
	(2)  what assessment her Department has made of the effect on small farm businesses of the three crop rule for arable farmers proposed as part of reform of the common agricultural policy; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: We recognise the Commission is trying to address concerns over the adverse environmental impact of continuous monocultures. However, as the Commission itself recognises, the environmental and agronomic benefits of this measure are severely limited by the inability to require rotation rather than diversification because of the practical difficulties of administering and enforcing this as an annual measure in pillar I. We share the concerns expressed by a wide cross section of stakeholders that the crop diversification proposal may instead lead to unintended and perverse consequences, give rise to agronomic issues and affect farm management practices and production for the market.
	Removing this measure from the proposals and seeking to address its objectives through alternative means may be a more effective way forward. However, the Government, along with many member states, would prefer to see the objective of greening achieved through both a menu-based approach and recognition of involvement in existing schemes.

Common Agricultural Policy

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress she has made on discussions with the European Commission on reform of the common agricultural policy; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and I have had numerous meetings with the Commission, including most recently discussions with Commissioner Ciolos at the NFU conference in February, the NFUS Greening conference in April, and earlier this month at the Agricultural Informal in Denmark; we will be seeing him again in July at the Royal Welsh show. We are constantly seeking to influence and work with the Commission to promote UK priorities and seek positive amendments to their proposals.
	This engagement has started to show results and the Commission is finally starting to acknowledge member states dissatisfaction and propose adjustments. For example, the Commission has recently introduced some additional flexibility to its greening proposals, but they do not go far enough.
	We will continue to work with like-minded member states to seek to increase the resilience, market orientation and international competitiveness of EU agriculture, to improve CAP's capacity to deliver environmental outcomes and to simplify CAP for farmers and authorities, within the constraints of a substantially reduced CAP budget.

Common Agricultural Policy

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what her policy is on provision of greater flexibility in the greening element of pillar I in the common agricultural policy proposals;
	(2)  whether the ecological focus areas of the common agricultural policy proposals will only apply to farms larger than 20 hectares;
	(3)  with reference to the common agricultural policy proposals, whether arable land under 50 hectares will be exempt from crop diversification plans where 80 per cent of eligible agricultural area is occupied by grassland, pasture or permanent crops;
	(4)  with reference to the common agricultural policy proposals, whether direct payments will be capped; and at what levels.

James Paice: Negotiations on the Commission's common agricultural policy proposals, including those on capping direct payments, are progressing but it is not yet clear what eventual form they may take, which measures will survive debate intact, and which will be adjusted. It is therefore too early to detail how these measures might apply within the UK.
	On greening we remain of the view that a strong pillar 2 is the best way to deliver meaningful environmental outcomes, as programmes are multi-annual, contractual and can be tailored to local conditions. Therefore the most flexible approach would be to transfer the full greening component from pillar I to pillar II, ring-fenced to deliver agri-environment measures equivalent to greening.
	If there is to be greening of pillar 1 it has to be environmentally effective with practical, effective and simple provisions with flexibility for member states to choose from a framework of options which are most appropriate to meet their key environmental objectives.
	We welcome the Commission's recent non-paper introducing some additional flexibility to its greening proposals, including changes to qualifying thresholds for the greening measures, as a step in the right direction. We will continue to work with like-minded member states to secure greater flexibility in recognition of member states' agricultural and agronomic diversity.

Disease Control: British Overseas Territories

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department has provided support or assistance to any of the British Overseas Territories for the culling of cats or dogs; and for what reason any such support or assistance was provided.

James Paice: The convention on biological diversity identifies invasive, introduced species as one of the major threats to global biodiversity and signatories, including the UK, have agreed to take action to control their impact.
	DEFRA is currently funding one research project to assess the feasibility of controlling introduced feral cats in St Helena in order to conserve the critically endangered St Helena Wirebird. The St Helena Wirebird is a bird with an extremely restricted range and a very small world population. The breeding success of Wirebirds is low in large part due to predation by feral cats and, to a lesser extent, black and brown rats. As part of this project, feral cats are being live trapped with carefully deployed and monitored baited cage traps and humanely dispatched according to a procedure agreed with DEFRA's Ethical Review Committee. Trapping will take place between May and August of this year, and we estimate that between 30 and 40 individuals will be dispatched.
	The research project is being undertaken by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and the St Helena National Trust. It brings together local conservation groups and UK research expertise; has the full support of the St Helena Government and direct involvement of the St Helena state veterinary service. It will ensure that future conservation strategies are based on sound science and use humane methods.
	The Food and Environment Research Agency has also provided advice on humane control of feral cats in the Cayman Islands.
	Dogs are controlled by some UK Overseas Territory governments, but DEFRA has not been involved in any of these activities.

E. coli

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding from the public purse she has allocated to monitor the incidence and spread of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing E. coli on farms.

James Paice: During the current financial year ending on 31 March 2013, the budget allocated for surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in livestock is £304,000. Where resistant E. coli isolates are found these are reported. The most recent surveillance results are due to be published on the Veterinary Medicines website later on this year.
	DEFRA currently funds two research projects into monitoring the incidence and spread of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing E. coli on farms. The total cost of these studies is £1,118,763. One of these studies is due to be completed late on in 2012 and the second is due for completion mid 2013.

Environment Protection

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps her Department has taken to support green technologies whilst also delivering value for money.

Richard Benyon: As set out in “Enabling the Transition to a Green Economy”, we recognise the vital importance of green technologies in making the transition to a green economy, to ensure that our economy delivers long-term and environmentally sustainable growth and is resilient to global environmental risks such as climate change and biodiversity loss.
	We are keen to ensure that UK businesses are proactive and innovative, capturing new and expanding global markets through innovation and investment. The UK is already a global leader in the £3.3 trillion low-carbon and environmental goods and services (LCGES) sector—with the 6th largest domestic sector in the world—and we are working with businesses to maintain and enhance their lead. Funded with £3 billion to 2015, the UK Green Investment Bank will be able to provide financial solutions to accelerate private sector investment in the UK's transition to a green economy. The business-led Ecosystems Market Task Force is reviewing the opportunities afforded to UK businesses, from expanding green goods, services, products, investment vehicles and markets which value and protect nature.
	We are also taking action to overcome barriers to adoption of green technologies, whether through supporting pilot schemes, for example in carbon capture and storage, offering enhanced capital allowances on energy- and water-efficient technologies, or schemes to kick-start market adoption of green technologies, such as the Green Bus Fund.

Fisheries

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many permits have been awarded by the Environment Agency to catch North American signal crayfish.

Richard Benyon: There are currently 494 valid authorisations.

Floods: Business

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has had any meetings with people or businesses affected by recent flooding.

Richard Benyon: On 13 June 2012, my rigth hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs visited Sussex where she saw firsthand the impact of the flooding and the recovery operation taking place in areas such as Littlehampton and Felpham. This visit also provided the opportunity for her to meet and thank the front line emergency services who have done such a fantastic job dealing with the flooding events over the last few days.

Floods: Insurance

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether she has met representatives of the insurance industry to discuss options to replace the Statement of Principles agreement on flood insurance;
	(2)  what options her Department is considering to replace the Statement of Principles between the Government and insurers on flood insurance when it expires in 2013.

Richard Benyon: The availability and affordability of insurance in flood risk areas is an important issue for this Government. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has met with a range of representatives from the insurance industry, including the Association of British Insurers, and we are at an advanced stage in intensive negotiations with the industry on alternative arrangements for when the Statement of Principles expires.
	The Government will continue to invest to reduce the risk of flooding especially to those households at the highest flood risk and living in the most deprived communities. DEFRA expects to spend more than £2.17 billion on flooding and coastal erosion over this spending period. As a result of the investment we are making, we expect to deliver better protection to 145,000 households by March 2015.

Floods: Newton Abbot

Anne-Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department has taken to ensure adequate flood defences in Newton Abbot constituency since 2010.

Richard Benyon: In July 2011, the Environment Agency opened the Shaldon and Ringmore Tidal Defence Scheme, which has reduced the risk of tidal flooding for around 250 properties.
	The Environment Agency has started work on the Teignmouth Tidal Defence Scheme, which is due for completion in August 2012 and will reduce the risk of tidal flooding to approximately 175 properties and Teignmouth town centre.
	Teignbridge district council is near completion of a scheme, funded by DEFRA, to reduce river flooding to approximately 12 properties in Teigngrace, near Newton Abbot. The scheme is due to open in July 2012. Teignbridge district council is also planning to undertake structural repairs to the Ness sea wall during 2012.
	In August 2011, the Environment Agency signed off the South Devon and Dorset Shoreline Management Plan, which provides a long-term strategy for the next 100 years. The Environment Agency continues to work in partnership with local authorities and communities to develop a sustainable approach to flood risk management in the area.

Fly Tipping: Motor Vehicles

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration she has given to issuing guidance to local authorities on use of the powers introduced by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 to enable councils to seize vehicles associated with fly-tipping.

Richard Benyon: Local authorities and the Environment Agency have existing powers to seize vehicles suspected of use in fly-tipping. The extended powers contained within the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 relating to the search and seizure of vehicles suspected of use in fly-tipping and other waste crimes have not yet been commenced. We plan to commence them this year and lay secondary legislation to set out how the seized property must be dealt with.
	Officials are working with representatives from local authorities, the Environment Agency and businesses on guidance for enforcement authorities in support of the regulations.

Food: Waste Disposal

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which local authorities in England and Wales send a majority of their food waste to landfill.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information her Department holds on the number of local authorities which offer their residents the ability to recycle food waste.

Richard Benyon: The following table represents the Waste and Resources Action Programme's best understanding of kerbside food collection schemes operated by local authorities in the UK up to 29 February 2012.
	
		
			 Number of authorities collecting food waste 
			  None collected Food waste collected with garden waste Separate food waste collected Both collected 
			 England 169 71 81 5 
			 Wales 0 1 19 2 
			 Scotland 17 8 7 0 
			 Northern Ireland 8 15 0 3 
			 UK total 194 95 107 10 
		
	
	In any authority's area, the scheme may not be available to every household.
	Where only fruit and vegetables are collected with the garden waste, this is not counted as a “food waste collected with garden waste” collection.
	Separate food waste collections are defined as those where the householder presents the food waste separately at the kerbside, even if the food is subsequently mixed with garden waste on the collection vehicle.

Food: Waste Disposal

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will consider providing financial incentives to local authorities to encourage the home disposal of food waste.

Richard Benyon: The Government has no plans to compel councils to adopt household food waste collections or encourage home disposal of food waste. Such decisions are for local councils, taking into account local circumstances including logistics, characteristics of the area, and the level of service that residents want.

Hares

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the size of the population of wild hares in each of the last five years.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA has made no assessment of hare numbers in the last five years. The last national survey of the brown hare was carried out in 1995 [Hutchings, M.R. & Harris S. (1995) “The current status of the brown hare (Lepus europaeus) in Britain. JNCC”] when the English population was estimated to be about half a million. Data collected for the ongoing Tracking Mammals Partnership Surveillance Scheme and British Trust for Ornithology/Joint Nature Conservation Committee/Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Breeding Bird Survey indicate that overall the national population is stable although there are regional variations.

Ivory

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to prevent illegal trading in ivory.

Richard Benyon: Poaching and the smuggling of ivory for international trade are a significant threat to elephants. As a Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the UK is supportive of its increasing focus on enforcement, its work with range and consumer countries to reduce illegal trade, as well as enforcement agencies such as Interpol. Last year we contributed £90,000 to Interpol's Operation Wisdom to strengthen enforcement capacity in elephant and rhino range states in east Africa. The UK also participated in a rhino and elephant enforcement task force meeting at which intelligence reports and methodologies were exchanged and strategies were developed to tackle illegal trade in both animals across their ranges.
	Here in the UK, CITES is one of six wildlife crime priorities for the National Wildlife Crime Unit which includes the illegal trade in elephant ivory.
	We also employ stricter domestic measures for elephants than those required under CITES, prohibiting trade in all ivory except antique worked items.

Litter: Publicity

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which organisations have joined the ‘Love Where You Live’ campaign since October 2011.

Richard Benyon: The ‘Love Where You Live’ campaign is run by the independent charity Keep Britain Tidy with the backing of the Government. There are about 500 organisations, including schools, local authorities, community groups and businesses such as Waitrose, the Co-Op and Addison Lee that have registered support for it since October 2011. These organisations have joined the five founder members and existing supporters in using the ‘Love Where You Live’ brand to underpin their own clean-up initiatives.

Livestock: Antibiotics

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what information her Department holds on the relative quantities of antibiotics used on livestock farms to (a) treat ill animals and (b) prevent disease in healthy animals in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available;
	(2)  what recent assessment she has made of the use of antibiotics on livestock farms.

James Paice: For the past 14 years, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate has collected, collated and published figures on UK sales volumes of active antimicrobial ingredients in authorised veterinary medicinal products.
	These reports can be found at:
	http://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/fsf/antimicrobial_pubs.aspx
	There is no central record of the use of antimicrobials in animals in the UK. However, it is reasonable to assume that there is a direct relationship between the reported quantities of products sold and those used in the UK in the species indicated.

Livestock: Antibiotics

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will commission a review on the extent of the prophylactic use of antibiotics in livestock production.

James Paice: Where veterinary medicinal products have been authorised for use in food producing animals, the greater majority are authorised for the treatment of disease. This authorisation includes the treatment of groups of animal when not all individual animals have developed the symptoms of the disease. A minority of veterinary medicinal products containing antibiotics are authorised for the prevention of disease in farmed animals and these include those used to prevent mastitis in dairy cattle at drying off.
	A research project to investigate medicines use on dairy farms has been commissioned and veterinary medicinal products to prevent mastitis have been included in this investigation. This research is currently being completed with a view to publication during the next few months.
	In addition the DEFRA Antimicrobial Resistance Co-ordination (DARC) group this year has been meeting farming sector veterinary surgeons to seek information on current prescribing practices. The intention is to publish a paper giving the conclusions of these meetings once they have been concluded.

Livestock: Antibiotics

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding her Department provides for research and development projects and studies on the use of antibiotics in food producing animals.

James Paice: The Government is currently funding four research projects on the use of antibiotics in food producing animals at a total cost of £2,193,076. In the current year the budget for these four studies is £754,712. One of these studies is due to be completed in 2012, whilst the other projects are due to be completed in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Livestock: Antibiotics

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to promote the responsible use of antimicrobials in farmed animals.

James Paice: The Government have long promoted the responsible use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine and has produced publications such as a Code of Practice on the Responsible Use of Medicines on the Farm and a leaflet on antimicrobials, available on the Veterinary Medicines Directorate's website:
	http://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/vet/antimicrobial_pubs.aspx
	The Government work closely with the farming industry, the veterinary profession and the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance. RUMA has produced various sector specific publications and guidance all of which can be found on the RUMA website. RUMA's most recent publication is a poster on responsible use of antibiotics available at:
	http://www.ruma.org.uk/images/EPRUMA%20poster.JPG
	The British Veterinary Association has recently produced a poster on the responsible use of antimicrobials for veterinary practices, available at:
	http://www.bva.co.uk/public/documents/BVA_Antimicrobials _Poster.PDF

Livestock: Antibiotics

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent assessment she has made of the effects of the use in livestock production of antibiotics designed for humans; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent assessment she has made of the development of antibiotic resistance in humans and animals due to use of antibiotics in animal feed;
	(3)  what recent assessment she has had made of the potential effect on human health of the use of antibiotics on farms;
	(4)  what recent assessment she has made of the development of anti-microbial resistance in bacteria affecting humans due to antibiotic use in farm animal production.

James Paice: The DEFRA Antimicrobial Resistance Co-ordination (DARC) group considers any new information as it arises on antibiotic resistance in veterinary isolates, with a view to advising whether there is a risk to public health. This includes the Government's programme of surveillance for antimicrobial resistance in animals and new research in this area. DARC also refers issues to the independent Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infection (ARHAI) if there is a need for a further evaluation in respect of human health. DARC and ARHAI have recently published a joint report on extended-spectrum beta-lactamases which confer resistance in some bacteria to specific types of antibiotic. This report can be found at:
	http://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/public/antimicrobial_pubs.aspx
	Sales of veterinary antibiotics are also a factored in to DARC's consideration. In 2010, the most recently available figures, a total of 447 tonnes of authorised veterinary medicinal products containing antibiotics were sold in the UK. Of the 447 tonnes, those veterinary antibiotics identified by the World Health Organisation as critically important for human medicine, 0.3% were 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins, 0.5% were fluoroquinolones and 7.8% were macrolides.
	Many of the veterinary medicinal products authorised for use in animal feed have the same active ingredients used in veterinary medicinal products which are authorised to be administered in ways other than in feed. As a consequence it is not possible to distinguish whether changes in sensitivity to antibiotics have arisen from administration in medicated feeds or other methods.
	This is a complex issue but the scientific consensus is that while human prescribing is more likely to have an impact on human medicine than veterinary use, responsible prescribing is essential in both sectors. In addition, the types of multi-resistant E.coli including those resistant to fluoroquinolones or those expressing extended spectrum beta lactamases that have been identified on farms in the UK are largely different from those circulating in the human population.

Livestock: North-west

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the number of farming holdings there have been in less favoured areas in (a) Cumbria and (b) Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency in each of the last 10 years.

James Paice: The number of commercial holdings in Cumbria, and the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency in the less favoured areas for 2001-10 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Cumbria Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency 
			 2001 2,822 1,087 
			 2002 2,793 1,061 
			 2003 2,844 1,091 
			 2004 2,804 1,071 
			 2005 2,869 1,095 
			 2006 3,148 1,076 
			 2007 3,165 1,108 
			 2008 3,182 1,115 
			 2009 2,789 961 
			 2010 2,461 724 
			 Note: Commercial holdings are those with significant levels of farming activity. These significant levels are classified as any holding with more than 5 hectares of agricultural land, 1 hectare of orchards, 0.5 hectares of vegetables or 0.1 hectares of protected crops, or more than 10 cows, 50 pigs, 20 sheep, 20 goats or 1,000 poultry.

Palm Oil: Imports

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the volume of unsustainable palm oil imported in each of the last five years.

Richard Benyon: Our most recent data, from 2009, come from the evidence study “Mapping and understanding the UK palm oil supply chain and analysis of policy options” (reference EV 0459), which was published by DEFRA on 6 May 2011. This estimated that in 2009 UK imports comprised 595,300 metric tons of palm oil, 663,300 metric tons palm kernel meal, 48,100 metric tons of palm kernel oil and at least 350,000 metric tons of palm oil in finished products. Over the period 2005-09, the quantities of palm products imported declined, with 2009 imports around 60% of what they were in 2005.
	The study indicated that uptake of certified sustainable palm oil was increasing. In 2009 about 24% of the UK imports of palm fats and oils were covered by sustainability certification (including approximately 55,000 metric tons of segregated oil, certified under the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil scheme; and around 100,000 metric tons via certificates purchased by UK companies under the GreenPalm certificate trading scheme). Thus, in 2009, about 76% of UK palm imports were not covered by sustainability certification.
	We have recently sought tenders for work which will include the annual updating of the estimates of UK sustainable palm oil consumption.

Pesticides

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment her Department has made of the use of the Cruiser OSR pesticide.

Richard Benyon: Cruiser OSR is a mixture of thiamethoxam (a neonicotinoid insecticide) and two fungicides which was first authorised for use as a seed treatment in the UK in April 2009 on fodder rape, mustard, and oilseed rape. In 2012 extensions of use were authorised to allow use on poppy seed for morphine production, linseed, and for kale seed for animal fodder.
	The regulatory information for Cruiser OSR and other neonicotinoids is being reviewed alongside recent academic studies as part of the Government's current consideration of any potential impact of neonicotinoid insecticides on bees and other pollinators.

Pesticides

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions her Department has had with the (a) European Commission and (b) European Food Safety Agency on a potential Europe-wide ban on the Cruiser OSR pesticide.

Richard Benyon: The Health and Safety Executive's Chemicals Regulation Directorate, as the UK pesticides regulatory body, recently took part in a European Commission meeting with member states to discuss the position on neonicotinoid insecticides in Europe. This included presentations from the European Food Safety Authority and the French body responsible for pesticide evaluations. No firm conclusions were reached.

Pesticides

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the French Ministry of Agriculture's decision to ban the use of the pesticide Cruiser OSR on oilseed rape.

Richard Benyon: The limited information we have on the basis for the proposed withdrawal of authorisation for Cruiser OSR in France is being considered as part of our consideration of the evidence on neonicotinoids in the light of recent scientific studies.
	The rules for pesticide controls apply across the EU and allow member states to authorise individual pesticide products following a national risk assessment process. In the case of seed treatments, such as Cruiser OSR, EU law does not allow member states to prohibit marketing and use of seeds treated with pesticides authorised for that use in at least one member state. The French authorities have therefore asked the European Commission to consider European action with regard to this issue.

Pesticides

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent assessment her Department has made of the use of neonicotinoids in the production of agricultural crops in the UK;
	(2)  when her Department plans to publish its findings on recent studies into neonicotinoids.

Richard Benyon: All pesticide approvals can be reviewed, and amended or revoked if necessary, if new evidence comes to light. Due to the importance of bees, the Government is committed to looking carefully at the new evidence as it emerges. The Government carried out a thorough analysis following the 2009 Buglife report and considered the subsequent evidence in 2011. At that point, the body of evidence supported the continuing authorisation of the neonicotinoids. We are now looking carefully at the most recent research studies.
	The recent studies are being examined by the Health and Safety Executive's Chemicals Regulation Directorate, DEFRA's Food and Environment Research Agency, as well as the independent scientific Advisory Committee on Pesticides. The work is being overseen by DEFRA's Chief Scientific Adviser and we will take into account the statement published on 1 June by the independent European Food Safety Authority about this research. DEFRA aims to publish its findings by the end of July.
	The regulatory system for pesticides is comprehensive and is constantly updated to ensure that it continues to protect people and the environment. The risk assessment for bees has been an area of particularly active development in recent years. The independent European Food Safety Authority has just produced a scientific opinion on the EU bee regulatory risk assessment and will produce a new guidance document on this for member states to follow in authorising pesticide products. UK officials are closely involved in these developments.

Rabbits

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the size of the population of wild rabbits in each of the last five years.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA has made no assessment of rabbit numbers in the last five years. Rabbit numbers vary seasonally but tend to be relatively stable over winter. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee conducted the Review of British Mammals in 1995 (Harris, S. et al). The population at this time was given as 37½ million. The Mammal Society reviewed this population estimate in 2004 and revised the figure upwards to 40 million.

Recruitment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2012, Official Report, column 489W, on recruitment, to what extent her Department and its non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies used name-blank CVs or the blind sift function on the Civil Service Resourcing e-recruitment system to recruit staff in the last year.

Richard Benyon: Core DEFRA, its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies do not use name-blank CVs to recruit staff.
	None of them currently uses the full Civil Service Resourcing e-recruitment system and therefore have not used the blind sift function to recruit staff.

River Thames: Sewage

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to prevent the Thames from being flooded with sewage after periods of heavy rainfall.

Richard Benyon: Thames Water is currently delivering permanent measures which will improve the Thames tideway. These include upgrades to five major sewage treatment works in London, and constructing the Lee Tunnel. By the end of 2014 these improvements will reduce the current level of waste water discharges into the tidal reaches of the River Thames in a typical year, from 39 million tonnes to around 18 million tonnes. In the longer term, when scheduled for completion in 2023, the Thames tunnel would reduce this discharge by a further 15.5 million tonnes.
	Thames Water is also taking interim measures to mitigate the effects of sewage in the River Thames after storm events by deploying two skimmer boats to collect floating sewer debris and two oxygenation barges to directly oxygenate the river water. This is augmented by a land based hydrogen peroxide dosing system that helps to maintain a minimum dissolved oxygen concentration above that where fish would be harmed. However, these measures do not prevent sewage pollution entering the river in the first place, nor are they able to meet the regulatory requirements for an adequate waste water collection system, which is why the Thames tunnel is needed.
	In addition to an increase in the capacity and capability of London's sewerage system, it is also important to take measures to reduce the volume of waste water entering the system in the first place. DEFRA has recently consulted on implementing the sustainable drainage provisions in the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, with the aim of reducing the volume of surface water run-off entering the sewerage system from new developments. We will also shortly publish the revised guidelines for water companies to follow when drawing up their water resource management plans, which will place an increased emphasis on demand management. Tighter minimum standards for water use in new housing were introduced in 2010 and we have welcomed the re-launched industry-led voluntary labelling scheme for water efficient bathroom products. The Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme for Water continues to provide tax breaks for businesses to invest in water efficient equipment.

River Thames: Tunnels

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish her response to the Mayor of London's letter to her of 11 April 2012 on the Thames tunnel.

Richard Benyon: I have arranged for a copy of the Secretary of State’s reply to the Mayor of London's letter of 11 April 2012 to be placed in the Library of the House.

Roads: Lighting

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the ecological effects of street lighting.

Richard Benyon: The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution's report on ‘Artificial Light in the Environment’ demonstrated the potential impact of street lighting on biodiversity but highlighted that there was a general lack of evidence in this area.
	DEFRA has subsequently commissioned a three-year research project on street lighting and biodiversity, due to be completed in April 2015. This will add to the developing evidence base from externally funded studies which is particularly focused on impacts on bats and invertebrates.

Rural Areas

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps her Department has taken to (a) support the farming industry in the UK, (b) promote the interests of rural people and (c) promote the interests of rural communities.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA has set out clear objectives in its Business Plan to support and develop British farming and thriving rural communities, and this is embedded in all of its policy and wider work.
	The Rural Payments Agency produced a Five-Year Plan in February setting out how it will build on recent improvements and work towards delivering both vastly improved service to its customers and much better value for money for taxpayers.
	The independent Task Force on Farming Regulation published its report on 17 May and the Government their full response on 21 May. Most recommendations were accepted and work is now under way to implement our commitments.
	DEFRA's £3.7 billion Rural Development Programme for England (2007-2013) provides investment to improve competitiveness in the agriculture and forestry sector; safeguard and enhance the rural environment; foster competitive and sustainable rural businesses and thriving rural communities. Under the programme new grant schemes have been introduced which provide small grants to enable the development of farm, forestry, and horticulture businesses, and large grants to enable the transformational change in the economic performance of farm, forestry, tourism, and agri-food businesses. A new skills and knowledge framework is to be introduced in the autumn.
	DEFRA's Rural Communities Policy Unit acts as a centre of rural expertise supporting and informing Government policy to achieve outcomes for rural people and communities. DEFRA is engaging with a wide range of organisations that support and represent rural people including:
	The Rural Community Action Network (RCAN): supports community-led action in rural areas and works to increase the long-term sustainability of rural community life.
	The Rural Coalition: DEFRA meets regularly with the Rural Coalition to facilitate strategic input into key policy areas impacting on rural people and communities.
	The Rural and Farming Network: established to identify and feedback local issues and concerns to DEFRA Ministers.

Rural Areas: Business

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps her Department has taken to support small businesses.

Richard Benyon: I am keen to support small businesses as part of our economy. They play a major role in the economy in rural areas and throughout the agri-food and drink sector and DEFRA is working hard to promote them. For example, we are currently implementing a £165 million package of measures to stimulate rural businesses including the establishment of five Rural Growth Network pilots during 2012-13 which are designed to stimulate sustainable growth in the rural economy and to help businesses reach their full potential, the targeting of £100 million of Rural Development Programme for England funding at meeting Rural Economy Growth Review priorities, and driving through a reform of farming regulation to minimise the burdens on business.
	Broadband connectivity is vital for small businesses to be able to compete and grow and access new markets. To complement the Government's £530 million investment to support the roll out of broadband across all rural areas, DEFRA and Broadband Delivery UK has established the Rural Community Broadband Fund. This £20 million fund provides grant support to enable communities and businesses to access superfast broadband in hard to reach locations.
	UK Business as a whole could save £23 billion a year by being more resource efficient. Small and medium enterprises face particular challenges in accessing these savings, particularly access to capital and information. DEFRA funds WRAP to provide targeted services to help address these issues, including voluntary agreements, loan funds and business support. By 2015 WRAP aim to save SMEs £20 million a year through better resource use.
	I also want to ensure our procurement is accessible to small businesses and DEFRA is committed to reaching the cross-Government target of 25% of business going to SMEs. We have also recently consulted across the country to encourage SMEs to play their part in the Rural Redevelopment Programme for England training procurement.

Schmallenberg Virus

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress her Department has made in tracking the schmallenberg virus in the UK.

James Paice: A team of experts from DEFRA and the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) constantly monitors diseases in the UK and across the world. As a result, we are well informed of the threat of both emerging and spreading diseases.
	This new disease is not notifiable in the EU and as such there is no legal requirement to do surveillance for the virus. However, as little is known about the virus, the Government is supporting research to develop the schmallenberg virus knowledge base, but does not plan further intervention at this stage. There is little indication of infection in adult livestock, and it is their offspring born sometime after active infection during pregnancy that have been exhibiting clinical signs.
	Following low winter midge activity, further cases may be reported, therefore DEFRA continues to provide free testing for the virus. Nevertheless, we would not expect a significant increase at this time of year. Through enhanced passive surveillance, animal keepers have been asked to be vigilant and report suspect cases for investigation on a voluntary basis. In addition, the AHVLA is shortly to release an online questionnaire available for completion by all GB sheep farmers which will provide additional details of the prevalence of the disease.
	DEFRA is working closely with the farming industry and international scientific experts to ensure the most up-to-date information and advice is provided to livestock keepers.

Sharks: Conservation

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent research her Department has undertaken into shark finning in the UK.

Richard Benyon: In 2008, the UK banned shark finning—the wasteful practice of removing shark fins at sea and discarding the carcass overboard—on board all UK vessels. Since then, it has not been necessary to conduct any research into this activity.
	The UK wants to see improved conservation and management measures for sharks and supports the European Commission's proposal to tighten Regulation 1185/2003 on shark finning to ensure there is a complete ban on the removal of shark fins on board vessels.

Steart Peninsular

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the (a) cost of buying the land for the Steart Peninsular project, (b) overall cost of that project and (c) cost of completing the project.

Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency has spent £5.8 million on land acquisition costs for the Steart Coastal Management Scheme.
	The full costs of the project including land purchase are estimated to be £18 million to £20 million.
	The remaining costs to complete the project are £8.5 million.

Timber: Smuggling

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to prevent the illegal smuggling of endangered hardwoods.

Richard Benyon: We are committed to eliminating illegal timber from the UK market. We will therefore put in place the necessary legislation to implement the provisions of the EU illegal timber regulation in the United Kingdom by 3 March 2013 in accordance with the provisions of the regulation. The regulation prohibits the first-placing of illegal timber on the EU market which will restrict its purchase, possession and sale down the supply chain. Implementation will include putting in place a robust and proportionate enforcement regime, including appropriate penalties. With regard to the trade in endangered Rosewoods and Ebonies from Madagascar the UK CITES (convention on international trade in endangered species of fauna and flora) Scientific Authority for Plants is working with the national CITES authorities to increase international regulation of the trade and to improve mechanisms of detection of illegal trade.

Water Charges

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what the average change in water prices charged to customers was in each of the last 10 years (a) in England and Wales and (b) by Severn Trent Water; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how much has been invested by the water industry (a) in England and Wales and (b) in Severn Trent Water in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: Information on the average change in unit water prices charged to customers is not held by Ofwat in the form requested and is available only at disproportionate cost. Ofwat holds information on average bill changes, not average change in prices. That information is held by individual companies.
	The following table provides details of the average water and sewerage bills in England and Wales, and the average water and sewerage bills for Severn Trent, for the last 10 years:
	
		
			 £ 
			  Average waterand seweragebillinEngland and Wales Averagewaterand seweragebillinSevern Trent 
			 2002-03 312 279 
			 2003-04 316 285 
			 2004-05 324 290 
			 2005-06 349 312 
			 2006-07 360 324 
			 2007-08 370 328 
			 2008-09 374 328 
			 2009-10 378 330 
			 2010-11 375 328 
			 2011-12 375 326 
			 2012-13 376 326 
		
	
	Capital expenditure in England and Wales and in Severn Trent in each of the last 10 years is given in the following table:
	
		
			 £ million 
			  Capital expenditure of all water and sewerage companies Capital expenditure of Severn Trent 
			 2001-02 3,813 436 
			 2002-03 4,355 523 
			 2003-04 4,545 526 
			 2004-05 4,260 521 
			 2005-06 3,928 508 
			 2006-07 4,855 562 
			 2007-08 5,284 605 
			 2008-09 4,922 663 
			 2009-10 4,184 673 
			 2010-11 9,934 422

Water: Conservation

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will meet representatives of the Environment Agency and the water suppliers to discuss lifting drought orders currently in force and allowing people who wish to use hoses for commercial or domestic purposes to do so.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 14 June 2012
	Following the continued wet weather in April and May, the Environment Agency has reported that most river flows and almost all reservoirs levels have returned to normal levels for the time of year. However, very low groundwater levels remain a concern across some parts of England. The Environment Agency continues to keep the water resources situation and drought status under constant review. No drought orders are currently in force.
	The decision to lift water restrictions is down to individual water companies. Thames, Anglian and Southern Water have all announced that they will lift their restrictions as a result of their improved water situation. However the other four water companies with restrictions in place are more reliant on groundwater supplies. They are continuing to monitor their supplies but have indicated they are unlikely to be able to remove restrictions in the short term.
	Should we have another dry winter and limited recharge of groundwater supplies the risk of drought will continue into 2013. The Government is continuing to work with the water companies to plan ahead for such an event and ensure they are able to maintain their supplies.

Wind Power

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the effect of wind turbine developments on livestock.

James Paice: DEFRA has carried out no such assessment.

CABINET OFFICE

Average Earnings: Newton Abbot

Anne-Marie Morris: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will estimate the average earnings of full-time employees in Newton Abbot constituency in April of each year since 2005.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 24 May 2012:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking for average earnings of full-time employees in the Newton Abbot constituency for April of each year since 2005. (109573)
	Average levels of earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for all employees on adult rates of pay whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. The ASHE, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom.
	The following table shows the median gross weekly earnings for full-time employees in the Newton Abbot constituency for April of each year since 2009, the first period for which figures are available.
	
		
			 Median gross weekly earnings for full-time employee jobs(1), Newton Abbot constituency from 2009 to 2011 
			  £ 
			 2009 **437.8 
			 2010 **410.1 
			 2011(2) *413.8 
			 2011(3) *416.1 
			 (1) Full-time employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence. As at April of each year. (2) 2011 results based on Standard Occupational Classification 2000. (3) 2011 results based on Standard Occupational Classification 2010. Notes: The district of Teignbridge was split into two parliamentary constituencies, Newton Abbot and Central Devon. This change was implemented on ASHE in 2009. Guide to quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5%, we would expect the population average to be within the range 180-220. Key: * CV > 5% and <= 10% ** CV > 10% and <= 20% Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Office for National Statistics.

Average Earnings: South West

Anne-Marie Morris: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average earnings were of (a) full-time male, (b) full-time female, (c) part-time male and (d) part-time female workers in (i) Newton Abbot constituency, (ii) Devon County Council Authority area and (iii) the South West in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority, I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 24 May 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the average earnings were of (a) full-time male, (b) full-time female, (c) part-time male and (d) part-time female workers in (i) Newton Abbot constituency, (ii) Devon County Council Authority area and (iii) the South West in each of the last five years. (110016)
	Average levels of earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for all employees on adult rates of pay whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. The ASHE, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom.
	The following table shows the median gross weekly earnings for (a) full-time male, (b) full-time female, (c) part-time male and (d) part-time female workers in (i) Newton Abbot constituency in April of each year since 2009, the first period for which figures are available, (ii) Devon County Council Authority area and (iii) the South West region in April each year from 2007 to 2011.
	
		
			 Median Gross Weekly Earnings—for full-time male, full-time female, part-time male and part time female employee jobs(1): (i) Newton Abbot parliamentary constituency, 2009 to 2011, (ii) Devon County Council Authority area and (iii) the South West region, 2007 to 2011 
			 £ 
			 Newton Abbot parliamentary constituency 
			  Full-time male Part-time male Full-time female Part-time female 
			 2009 **475.8 X X **143.2 
			 2010 **421.3 X **329.5 **144.4 
			 2011(2) **436.5 X **342.7 X 
			 2011(3) *440.1 X **344.5 X 
		
	
	
		
			 £ 
			 Devon County Council authority area(4) 
			  Full-time male Part-time male Full-time female Part-time female 
			 2007 412.3 **153.8 332.2 *142.7 
			 2008 437.2 **154.6 336.9 *146.0 
			 2009 449.7 **151.0 351.7 *152.8 
			 2010 454.2 *163.7 366.2 *158.5 
			 2011(2) 460.0 *168.7 366.7 *146.2 
			 2011(3) 460.2 *169.2 366.2 *145.0 
		
	
	
		
			 £ 
			 South West region 
			  Full-time male Part-time male Full-time female Part-time female 
			 2007 476.6 146.4 364.1 143.4 
			 2008 490.4 *150.7 379.4 149.5 
			 2009 498.6 147.4 385.9 151.5 
			 2010 502.8 149.8 399.9 155.8 
			 2011(2) 509.8 148.3 405.8 151.1 
			 2011(3) 508.0 148.3 402.5 150.4 
			 (1) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence. (2) 2011 results based on Standard Occupational Classification 2000. (3) 2011 results based on Standard Occupational Classification 2010. (4) Devon County Council Authority area comprises eight local authorities. Note: The District of Teignbridge was split into two parliamentary constituencies—Newton Abbot and Central Devon. This change was implemented on ASHE in 2009. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: CV ≤ 5% * CV > 5% and = 10% ** CV > 10% and = 20% X Unreliable CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Office for National Statistics.

Charities

Gordon Banks: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department issues guidance to charities on payments to suppliers and sub-contractors.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office has no plans to issue guidance to charities on how they should pay suppliers and sub-contractors. This would be a decision for charities.

Charities

Gordon Banks: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what arrangements are in place to ensure charitable resources are used transparently in establishing new IT processes in charities.

Nick Hurd: Under charity law, which is a devolved matter, charities are independent and trustees have a legal duty to act in the best interests of the charity and its beneficiaries. Provided they act under their legal duty, trustees are free to make decisions relating to their charity if made properly and within the law, although the regulators encourage them to be as transparent as possible in the way they run their affairs.
	The accounts and annual reports of all registered charities in England and Wales with an annual income of over £25,000 are published on the Charity Commission's website.

Civil Servants

Michael McCann: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to ensure that senior civil servants maintain proper constitutional relations between the civil service and Parliament.

Francis Maude: As set out in the Civil Service Code, civil servants advising Ministers should be aware of the constitutional significance of Parliament, and of the conventions governing the relationship between Parliament and the Government.

Civil Servants: North West

Helen Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many full-time civil service posts there were in (a) Warrington, (b) Cheshire, (c) Merseyside and (d) Greater Manchester (i) on the most recent date for which figures are available, (ii) in 2010, (iii) in 1997 and (iv) in 1992.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many full-time, equivalent civil service posts there were in (a) Warrington, (b) Cheshire, (c) Merseyside and (d) Greater Manchester in (i) at the latest date for which figures are available, (ii) in 2010, (iii) in 1997 and (iv) in 1992 (112551).
	The Annual Civil Service Employment Survey has been carried out by ONS since 2006. Prior to this the survey was called the Mandate Collection and was carried out by Cabinet Office. Therefore the data provided are for the latest year available, 2011, and 2010. Cabinet Office holds data for previous years.
	The data are provided for Warrington, Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester.
	The survey reference points for the data are 31 March for both 2010 and 2011.
	The data for Warrington, Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester are shown at Annex A.
	Annex A
	
		
			 Civil service employment in Cheshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Warrington(1,2) 
			 All full-time employees 
			  2010(2) 2011(2) 
			 Cheshire 3,530 3,190 
			 Merseyside 15,070 13,980 
			 Greater Manchester 14,150 13,130 
			 Warrington 1,770 1,620 
			 (1) Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10, and numbers less than five are represented by“..”. (2) Workplace postcode data are used to derive geographical information. Note: Survey reference date 31 March. Source: Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (2010-11)

Civil Servants: Recruitment

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will consider introducing a system in the civil service analogous to the Business Compact and name blank CVs.

Francis Maude: Government Departments operate their own recruitment and processes differ across Departments. Civil Service Resourcing was established in 2011 as an HR expert service to provide systems and services for use across the civil service.
	Civil Service Resourcing has introduced an e-recruitment system that has the functionality to allow Departments to adopt a “blind” approach to the first stage sift. This means that all protected characteristics can be removed from defined fields within an application form.
	Some Departments have already adopted the system and this approach. Other Departments are likely to review their approach over time as they consider uptake of the e-recruitment system.

Deaths: Heart Disease and Strokes

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many people died from heart disease in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many people died from a stroke in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking:
	1. How many people died from heart disease in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each of the last five years.
	2. How many people died from a stroke in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each of the last five years.
	Table 1 provides the number of deaths where heart disease was the underlying cause for (a) Jarrow parliamentary constituency, (b) South Tyneside local authority, (c) the North East region and the UK between 2006 and 2010 (the latest year available).
	Table 2 provides the number of deaths where cerebrovascular disease (stroke) was the underlying cause for (a) Jarrow parliamentary constituency, (b) South Tyneside local authority, (c) the North East region and the UK between 2006 and 2010 (the latest year available).
	The number of deaths registered in England and Wales each year by sex, age, cause and place of death are published annually and are available here:
	www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/all-releases.html?definition=tcm%3A77-27475
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of deaths where heart disease was the underlying cause in the UK, the North East region, South Tyneside local authority and Jarrow parliamentary constituency, 2006-10(1,2,3,4) 
			 Deaths (persons) 
			 Area 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 United Kingdom 94,676 91,731 88,227 82,731 80,567 
			 North East region 4,428 14,293 4,023 3,768 3,563 
			 South Tyneside local authority 311 302 269 253 235 
			 Jarrow parliamentary constituency 161 148 126 131 123 
			 (1) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year and include non-residents for the UK. (2) Cause of death for heart disease was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes I20-I25. (3) Figures are based on boundaries as of February 2012. (4) Figures for the UK include data provided by National Records of Scotland and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of deaths where cerebrovascular disease was the underlying cause in the UK, the North East region, South Tyneside local authority and Jarrow parliamentary constituency, 2006-10(1,2,3,4) 
			 Deaths (persons) 
			 Area 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 United Kingdom 55,186 53,269 53,142 49,681 49,374 
			 North East region 2,554 2,339 2,353 2,113 2,166 
			 South Tyneside local authority 150 176 142 111 138 
			 Jarrow parliamentary constituency 73 97 79 57 72 
			 (1) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year and include non-residents for the UK. (2) Cause of death for heart disease was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes I60-I69. (3) Figures are based on boundaries as of February 2012. (4) Figures for the UK include data provided by National Records of Scotland and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.

Employment: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a) males and (b) females were employed (i) full-time and (ii) part-time (A) on the latest date for which figures are available, (B) in 2010, (C) in 1997 and (D) in 1992 in the areas covered in 2012 by (1) City of York Council and (2) York Central constituency.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many (a) males and (b) females were employed (i) full-time and (ii) part-time (A) at the latest date for which figures are available, (B) in 2010, (C) in 1997 and (D) in 1992 in areas covered in 2012 by (1) City of York Council and (2) York Central constituency. (111428)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) and its predecessor the Annual Labour Force Survey.
	Table 1 shows the number of males and females in full-time and part-time employment resident in the City of York Council area for the 12 month APS periods ending September 2010 and September 2011, the latest period for which figures are available. Estimates for 1992 and 1997 are not available, but as an alternative estimates have been supplied for the nearest available periods: March 1994-February 1995 and March 1996-February 1997.
	Table 2 shows estimates for the York Central parliamentary constituency for the 12 month APS periods ending September 2010 and September 2011. Estimates are not available for 1992 and 1997 for this area.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Number in full-time and part-time employment in the City of York council area 
			 Thousand 
			  Men  Women  
			  Full-time Part-time Full-time Part-time 
			 March 1994 to February 1995 51 3 24 28 
			 March 1996 to February 1997 54 3 24 29 
			 October 2009 to September 2010 55 8 36 20 
			 October 2010 to September 2011(1) **55 **10 **33 **32 
			 (1) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See following Guide to Quality. Guide to quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 ≤ CV <5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes Source: Annual Population Survey/ Annual Labour Force Survey 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number in full-time and part-time employment in the York Central parliamentary constituency 
			 Thousand 
			  Men Women 
			  Full-time Part-time Full-time Part-time 
			 October 2009 to September 2010 29 4 21 14 
		
	
	
		
			 October 2010 to September 2011(1) ***30 ***6 ***19 ***17 
			 (1) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See following Guide to Quality. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 ≤ CV <5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes Source: Annual Population Survey/Annual Labour Force Survey

Employment: Newton Abbot

Anne-Marie Morris: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what percentage of people in Newton Abbot constituency were employed in the (a) public sector, (b) private sector and (c) third sector in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated May 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what percentage of people in Newton Abbot constituency were employed in the (a) public sector, (b) private sector and (c) third sector in each of the last five years. (110015)
	Public and private sector employment statistics for local areas can be calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey.
	Estimates of people employed in the third sector are currently not available from APS. Individuals employed in voluntary organisations, charities and trusts are generally included in private sector estimates.
	Table 1 shows the percentage of the resident population aged 16 to 64 of Newton Abbot constituency employed in the public and private sectors from APS for the period October 2010 to September 2011, which are the most recent data available and October to September for the previous four years.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Percentage of the resident population aged 16 to 64 of Newton Abbot constituency employed in the private and public sector 
			 Percentage 
			 12 months ending September: Private Public 
			 2007 59 20 
			 2008 56 24 
			 2009 51 26 
			 2010 46 23 
			 2011 59 12 
			 Source: Annual Population Survey.

Government Estate

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what savings to the public purse have accrued from his Department's controls on the Government's property estate since May 2010; and how much he expects to save up to May 2015.

Francis Maude: As I announced last summer, we reduced the ongoing cost of our property estate by over £90 million between May 2010 and March 2011. Savings figures for 2011-12 are being audited and will be released in due course.
	My officials are working closely with Departments to accrue further savings during this Parliament.

Investment and Contract Readiness Fund

Ann McKechin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether any Barnett consequentials arise from the formation of the Investment and Contract Readiness Fund.

Nick Hurd: No consequentials arise from the formation of the Investment and Contract Readiness Fund. The Investment and Contract Readiness Fund falls within the agreed spending review (SR10) budget for the Cabinet Office. Barnett consequentials were allocated at the time of the SR10 settlements, based on agreed budgets.

Public Policy Research: Members

Christopher Chope: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department has commissioned or funded research into the opinions of hon. Members on issues of public policy since the 2010 general election.

Francis Maude: No.

Ministers

Michael Dugher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he will publish Ministers' figures for hospitality, gifts and overseas trips since September 2011.

Francis Maude: As part of my Department's transparency programme this information is published online. Details can be accessed at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-meetings-extemal-organisations-october-december-2011

Office for National Statistics

Stella Creasy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the route is from the opening page of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) website to finding the entry for 1950 from data set 1.8 in the series FM1 (the proportion of first births which took place within eight months of a wedding); what the ONS policy is on the publication of historic time series data; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the route is from the opening page of the ONS website to finding the entry for 1950 from dataset 1.8 in the series FM1 (the proportion of first births which took place within eight months of a wedding); what the ONS policy is on the publication of historic time series data.
	Table 1.8 from the series FM1 (percentage of first marriages with a birth within 8 months of marriage) is not available for 1950 or previous years. In 1950 the Registrar General's Statistical Review of England and Wales contained tables providing information on the interval between marriage and birth but did not separately identify first marriages so is not directly comparable to table 1.8. This publication is currently only available in hard copy format. Table 1.8 is available electronically from 1951 to 2008 and can be provided on request from the customer services team for vital statistics outputs,
	vsob@ons.qsi.gov.uk.

Office for National Statistics

Stella Creasy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the route is from the opening page of the Office for National Statistics website to access the time series for the Household Savings ratio for users who (a) know and (b) do not know the series registration code; if he will take steps to improve the accessibility of the information; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question to the Minister for the Cabinet Office, asking what the route is from the opening page of the Office for National Statistics website to access the time series for the Household Savings ratio for users who (a) know and (b) do not know the series registration code; if he will take steps to improve the accessibility of the information; and if he will make a statement. (112294)
	The primary publication for the saving ratio is the UK Economic Accounts. The latest edition can be accessed from the ONS homepage
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/index.html
	via the following route:
	Select ‘Economy' theme
	Select ‘UK Sector Accounts'
	Select the latest UK Economic Accounts publication.
	The Households' saving ratio series is included in Table A40.
	Where the four character series identifier is known (for the seasonally adjusted Households' saving ratio series this is NRJS) this can be accessed from the ONS homepage via the following route:
	Select ‘Data'
	Search for “NRJS”
	Select the latest Quarterly National Accounts publication.
	The dataset can be opened and downloaded in a variety of accessible formats, in which the NRJS series can be found.
	Commentary and analysis of the household saving ratio are also reported in the Quarterly National Accounts Statistical Bulletin
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/naa2/quarterly-national-accounts/index.html
	and the Quarterly Household Release
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/hsa/quarterly-household-release/index.html
	Steps have been taken to improve the search criteria for these data on the ONS website, and further improvements are planned for the future.

Older Workers

Stella Creasy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the number of people between the ages of 60 and 65 claiming pension credit and entitled to, but not claiming, jobseeker's allowance is included in the UK's unemployment statistics.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking whether unemployment estimates include those people aged between 60 and 65 who claim pension credit and are entitled to, but do not claim, Jobseeker’s Allowance.
	In accordance with international conventions, there is no upper age limit on people being recorded as in unemployment. Equally, whether or not a person is eligible for, or is claiming, any benefit is not a relevant factor in determining whether a person is unemployed.
	The ONS also produces figures for the claimant count which measures the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA).

Pensioners: Newton Abbot

Anne-Marie Morris: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people there were of pensionable age in Newton Abbot constituency on the latest date for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 8 June 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people of pensionable age there are in Newton Abbot constituency (110014).
	There were 24,110 people of pensionable age in Newton Abbot constituency at mid-2010. This is the latest year for which population estimates are available.
	This estimate gives the number of women aged 60 and over, and men aged 65 and over, which is the closest available approximation to state pension age at mid-2010 that can be obtained for population estimates by parliamentary constituency.

Procurement

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what steps he has taken to ensure that small companies can participate in the (a) first and (b) second round of G-Cloud procurement;
	(2)  what proportion of companies which (a) participated in and (b) were successful in the first round of G-Cloud procurement were small and medium-sized enterprises.

Francis Maude: holding answer 14 June 2012
	The first round of the G-Cloud procurement received over 600 expressions of interest. The Government procurement service subsequently awarded framework agreements to around 250 suppliers, 74% of whom have identified themselves as SMEs.
	The frameworks were the most SME-friendly in UK Government history. A number of aspects made them more accessible including simplified procurement processes, increased transparency, less detailed requirements specification, easier terms and education sessions to aid suppliers with the tender and accreditation process.

Procurement

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what proportion of Government-procured construction works were fully compliant with the health and safety competence in the Approved Code of Practice accompanying the Construction, Design and Management Regulations 2007 in each of the last two years; [R]
	(2)  what steps he has taken to ensure that all construction firms involved in Government-procured construction work including contractors or sub-contractors comply with the core criteria for health and safety competence in the Approved Code of Practice accompanying the Construction, Design and Management Regulations 2007. [R]

Francis Maude: In September 2011 Cabinet Office published mandatory standards for government-procured construction work: “The Common Minimum Standards for the procurement of built environments in the public sector” which included a number of requirements on Departments.
	The Common Minimum Standards document can be viewed in full at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/Government_Construction_Common_Minimum_Standards_1.pdf
	Individual Departments are responsible for the selection of their suppliers and ensuring that their construction projects comply with the law.

Public Sector

Peter Bone: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress he has made in improving efficiency in the public sector.

Francis Maude: In its first year of operation, the Efficiency and Reform Group helped Departments to deliver £3.75 billion in efficiency savings for the taxpayer across central Government. This cash was released through coordinated action such as making large reductions in the amounts spent on consultants, renegotiating contracts with some of Government's largest suppliers, and consolidating the Whitehall property estate. For the first time, these savings were corroborated by both the National Audit Office and by independent auditors.
	We are building on this success and are now auditing savings for 2011-12 which are expected to be a further £5 billion. These savings have not only driven out waste, but made an important contribution to reducing the deficit and protecting front-line services.
	We now have in place an effective operations centre at the heart of Government that can drive efficiencies and deliver long term, sustainable reform. Innovations such as new delivery models like mutual joint ventures and digital services are not only more efficient, but will deliver better results for the users. The Efficiency and Reform Group will continue working to root out waste, deliver efficiency and generate savings for the taxpayer, year after year.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which regulations his Department repealed between 1 February 2012 and 31 May 2012; and what the anticipated total savings will be from repealing those regulations.

Francis Maude: Information regarding regulation introduced (INs) and repealed (OUTs) by the Cabinet Office is published on a six-monthly basis in its Statement of New Regulation (SNR). This is available on the Cabinet Office Website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/content/statement-new-regulation

Sports Nutrition

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the total number of (a) jobs and (b) businesses in the sports nutrition industry.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many jobs and businesses there are in the sports nutrition industry. The requested information is not available.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Adam Pickles

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support and assistance his Department is offering the family of Adam Pickles.

Jeremy Browne: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office was first notified of Mr Pickles’ case on 21 May 2012. Consular staff from our consulate in Pattaya visited Mr Pickles in hospital on 22 May and met his family. Mr Pickles' family have subsequently met the staff at our consulate in Pattaya and at our embassy in Bangkok, and have also been in contact by telephone.
	Our consul in Bangkok has written to the Thai authorities to seek assurance that the circumstances that led to Mr Pickles' hospitalisation are fully investigated. The local police have kept our staff informed of the progress of their investigation and this information has been shared with Mr Pickles' family.
	We continue to monitor the case closely and provide advice and support to Mr Pickles' family as appropriate.

Argentina

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Argentinian Government on its recent threats of legal action against British oil exploration firms.

Jeremy Browne: The British Government fully supports the Falkland Islanders’ right to develop their own economy, including the hydrocarbons sector. Argentine authorities do not have jurisdiction over the Falkland Islands. We have reiterated these points on many occasions to the Government of Argentina, to the governments of other Latin American countries and to others, including the United Nations. We will continue to offer support to all companies working in the Falkland Islands, including by reassuring those in the hydrocarbons sector in receipt of threatening correspondence from the Argentine Government.

Ascension Island

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens are registered as permanently resident on Ascension Island.

Henry Bellingham: There is no right of abode on Ascension and there are no permanent residents.

Ascension Island

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on a right of abode on Ascension Island.

Henry Bellingham: There is no right of abode on Ascension Island. Permission to reside on Ascension Island is conditional on having an employment contract with one of the defined Employing Organisations or being the spouse or dependent of someone with such an employment contract. The Employing Organisations are the Ministry of Defence, the US Government, the Composite Signals Organisation, the BBC World Service, Cable and Wireless and the Ascension Island Government.

British Indian Ocean Territory

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many trespassers have been evicted from the British Indian Ocean Territory in each of the last 10 years.

Henry Bellingham: The numbers of vessels which have been arrested or given a warning for activities which could be considered as trespassing are:
	
		
			  Number of vessels 
			 2002 12 
			 2003 18 
			 2004 5 
			 2005 7 
			 2006 2 
			 2007 2 
			 2008 4 
			 2009 12 
			 2010 24 
			 2011 14 
			 2012 to date 3 
		
	
	Most of these cases involved illegal fishing but some were vessels breaking immigration rules by not having valid permits.

British Indian Ocean Territory

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on a right of abode in the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Henry Bellingham: The two 2004 British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Orders in Council provide that no person has the right of abode in BIOT or the right to enter the Territory unless authorised.

British Nationals Abroad

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which 20 countries had the largest British expatriate populations in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to respond to your question asking if he will estimate the 20 countries with the largest British expatriate populations in the latest period for which figures are available (111702).
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not collect information regarding UK nationals resident outside the UK. However, Eurostat publishes figures on population by citizenship for EU countries, these are available at:
	http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/population/data/database
	In 2006, the Institute for Public Policy Research produced a report on the British citizens living outside the UK “Brits abroad: mapping the scale and nature of British emigration”. This report can be accessed via the IPPR website on:
	http://ippr.typepad.com/brits_abroad/2006/12/brits_abroad_pu.html
	ONS produces estimates of long-term international migration flows which are primarily based on the International Passenger Survey (IPS). Detailed information on countries of next residence of emigrants from the UK is available using the IPS component of these estimates. Published estimates on the Top 10 countries of next residence for emigrants who are British citizens can be found in our Series 3 tables (3.20b) on the ONS website at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/migration1/long-term-international-migration/november-2010/long-term-international-migration-from-international-passenger-survey--ips--tables-1991---latest.zip

Burma

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held with the Burmese Government on inter-ethnic and inter-religious violence in the west of that country.

Jeremy Browne: I issued a press statement on 10 June which expressed my deep concern at the ongoing violence in Rakhine state. I called on all parties to act with restraint, and have urged the authorities and community leaders to open discussions to end the violence and protect all members of the local population.
	On 12 June our ambassador met Burmese President Thein Sein to discuss the ongoing peace negotiations with ethnic groups. The President emphasised his commitment to the peace process, and to resolving ethnic conflict. He said that the success of this process was essential to the sustainability of ongoing reforms.
	Our ambassador informed the President of our concern over the recent hostility in Rakhine state, and made clear that we stood ready to support all efforts—including the President’s—to end the violence. The UK and international community continues to monitor the situation very closely.

Commonwealth: Diamond Jubilee 2012

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what programmes his Department has put in place to promote diamond jubilee celebrations in Commonwealth countries.

Henry Bellingham: It is for Commonwealth realms and countries to decide how they wish to celebrate Her Majesty's diamond jubilee and 60 years as head of the Commonwealth. However UK diplomatic posts promoted diamond jubilee celebrations in their host countries during diamond jubilee week in a variety of ways. Many examples of those events can be seen on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) diamond jubilee pinterest website:
	http://pinterest.com/foreignoffice/diamond-jubilee/
	Our high commissions, embassies and overseas territories joined the series of lighting jubilee beacons around the world to celebrate this occasion.
	Lord Howell hosted a diamond jubilee dinner in March during Commonwealth week for London based high commissioners.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is also supporting the work of Sir John Major and the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust (QEDJT) to ensure the QEDJT is a lasting legacy for the Commonwealth. The Trust will identify projects that will enrich the lives and opportunities for citizens across the Commonwealth.
	A number of Commonwealth countries have already had visits by members of the Royal Family this year to celebrate the jubilee. These will continue during the diamond jubilee year.

Diplomatic Service

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the appointment of diplomats to the UK who have been accused of committing human rights abuses.

Henry Bellingham: The British Government takes seriously its commitment to upholding human rights. If evidence of human rights violations allegedly committed by diplomats seeking appointment in the UK is made known to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office we will, in conjunction with other parts of the British Government, carefully consider what our response should be. This could include, depending on the circumstances, a request to the sending state that such an application should be withdrawn.

Diplomatic Service

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what expenditure his Department made on private education for the children of diplomatic staff working overseas in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many children are being educated at each such school.

Henry Bellingham: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) spent a total of £12,839,645 on UK schooling in financial year 2011-12 and £11,761,394 on day schooling for children who accompanied their parents overseas. Staff and family movements between the UK and overseas postings are frequent in either direction. At any given time there are around 500-550 children in UK boarding schools and more than 1,000 children aged between three and 18 years at school overseas.
	It is a condition of their employment that members of the diplomatic service must be prepared to serve anywhere in the world at any time during their career, sometimes at very short notice. Most parents prefer to take their children with them abroad, but in some countries we do not permit staff to take their children either for health or security reasons. In others, free local English language schools comparable to those in the UK are not available, or teaching is not geared towards the final school leaving qualifications normally required for entry to British university or employment in the UK (ie GCSE and A-level or the international baccalaureate diploma).
	The financial support for UK schooling is limited to standard term fees up to a ceiling which is reviewed annually. The ceiling is determined by an independent survey conducted by ECA International, which is used by public and private sector employers whose staff work across the world. Staff choosing a more expensive school must pay the difference in cost themselves. Where a child has boarded at a UK school while parents have served overseas, the FCO will also meet these costs to give the child continuity while their parent works in the UK between overseas postings. Continuity of education is particularly important at secondary school age.
	We do not provide details of individual schools attended by children of staff in the UK and overseas, in order to avoid disclosures that, taken with other information, could identify individual members of staff and their families.

Euro 2012

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the (a) Polish and (b) Ukrainian authorities on racism at the UEFA Euro 2012 football tournament.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not had any discussions with either the Polish or Ukraine authorities on racism at UEFA Euro 2012 football tournament. However, there has been good bilateral co-operation between the UK and Polish and Ukrainian police on this issue. The FA and the UK football policing unit are confident that police from both countries will deal with any racist incident robustly and quickly.
	While not dismissing the risk of racist incidents or violence, we believe that both the England team and its fans will be made to feel welcome in Poland and Ukraine. No cases of racial abuse against British nationals in either Ukraine or in Poland have been reported to the FCO in recent years.

Foreign Students: North East

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate the British Council has made of the number of students from the north-east of England who have participated in (a) the Erasmus Programme and (b) the IAESTE programmes.

Jeremy Browne: The British Council does not hold data on from where within the UK students participating in the Erasmus and the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE) programmes originate. However, they collect data on the number of students attending universities in the north-east of England who participate in the Erasmus programme and the IAESTE programme. The following figures cover the period from the 2007-08 academic year, when the British Council first started administering the Erasmus scheme:
	
		
			 (a) Erasmus 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 University of Durham 157 252 279 312 
			 Newcastle University 201 238 247 202 
			 Northumbria University 107 130 100 134 
			 University of Sunderland 2 6 7 15 
			 Teesside University 0 2 2 1 
			 Total 467 628 635 664 
		
	
	
		
			 (b) IAESTE 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 University of Durham 7 8 5 6 
			 Newcastle University 0 7 3 2 
			 Teesside University 0 0 0 1 
			 Total 7 15 8 9

Guided Weapons

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 16 May 2012, Official Report, column 199W, on guided weapons, whether the Storm Shadow missile falls within Category I of the Missile Technology Control Regime; whether the missile has been exported to Saudi Arabia; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The Storm Shadow missile is assessed to be compliant with the MTCR guidelines. The specifics of current or potential weapons acquisitions by Saudi Arabia from UK are confidential between the two Governments.

Israel

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking in respect of discriminatory water supply policies in the Jordan Valley.

Alistair Burt: Water is one of the issues expected to be addressed in final status negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. The UK continues to urge both parties to enter into direct talks to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
	The British Government have had detailed discussions with both the Israeli and Palestinian authorities on the issue of water supply policies in the Jordan Valley.
	In addition to lobbying at political level, the UK is funding a project working with Palestinians and Israelis to help improve co-operation on water issues to the benefit of both parties.

Israel

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli authorities on Mahmoud Sarsak; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We continue to monitor the situation of the three Palestinian detainees still on hunger strike, including that of Mahmoud Sarsak, who is detained under Israel's unlawful combatants law. We understand that his medical condition has deteriorated and that he has started to take some liquids. We are also aware of reports that there are ongoing negotiations around his case.
	We have instructed our embassy in Tel Aviv to make clear our concerns to the Israeli authorities on this and related cases. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and I have also regularly raised with the Israeli authorities the issues of conditions in Israeli prisons, administrative detention and the situation of hunger strikers in general.

Israel

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he would consider taking against Israel if it continues with its policy of detentions without charge or trial; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We remain concerned about Israel's extensive use of administrative detention and the treatment of Palestinian prisoners, and continue to call on the Israeli authorities to comply with their obligations under international law.
	I raised our concerns most recently with the Israeli ambassador to London on 8 May 2012 and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs did likewise with the new Israeli Vice Prime Minister on 11 May. The British ambassador in Tel Aviv also discussed this issue with the Israeli Foreign Minister on 10 May. We are also in close contact with the International Committee of the Red Cross and with Palestinian human rights organisations as well as with the Palestinian Authority.

Mexico

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with his Mexican counterpart regarding Clean Technology Fund projects and the land rights of the indigenous population.

Jeremy Browne: I have discussed this specific subject with my Mexican counterpart. However, Mexico is a strong and progressive supporter of action to tackle climate change, and we have a productive relationship in this area, led by the Department for Energy and Climate Change.
	The UK supports the Clean Technology Fund (CTF). From our position on the committee which reviews each country's investment plans and projects we have been instrumental in ensuring that the CTF meets both climate and development objectives, providing broader benefits for local populations. This includes Mexico's plan, which was endorsed in 2009.

Morocco

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that negotiations on a new EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement (a) address the need for the consent of and (b) are beneficial to the Saharawi living in refugee camps near Tindouf.

Alistair Burt: The UK is committed to upholding the primacy of international law in negotiations on a new EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement. This means that any agreement must be compatible with international law. UK officials discuss the EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement with both Morocco and the Polisario Front on a regular basis as the two parties to the disputed territory of Western Sahara.
	There are no independent figures on the number or distribution of Saharawi living in the refugee camps near Tindouf. The UK supports the language contained in UNSCR 2044
	“Re-iterating the request that UNHCR maintain its consideration of a refugee registration in the Tindouf refugee camps.”

Nigeria

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK nationals have been injured by attacks by Boko Haram in Nigeria.

Henry Bellingham: No British nationals have been injured in terrorist attacks claimed by Boko Haram. However, one British national was tragically killed by terrorists associated with Boko Haram, linked to Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

Palestinians

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold discussions with Israel and Egypt in order to reduce fuel shortages in Gaza; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We hold Israel, as the occupying power of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, responsible for ensuring that the basic needs of the population in Gaza are met. This includes the provision of fuel.
	Israel continues to provide 120 megawatts (MW) of electricity per day directly to Gaza which meets approximately 43% of Gaza's power needs and is paid for by the Palestinian Authority. Egypt provides a further 17MW and the balance of Gaza's power needs (approximately I40MW) should be met by the Gaza power plant. The Gaza Electricity Distribution Company is now buying diesel fuel, which is sourced via tunnels between Egypt and Gaza, to operate two turbines in the power station to produce 60MW, and has not requested any industrial fuel from Israel since 5 January 2011.
	The majority of the population still experience power cuts. While these are now shorter in duration and less frequent than in late 2010, they continue to cause significant hardship and unnecessary suffering to ordinary Gazans. There are ongoing discussions between relevant parties on how to enhance the provision of electricity and other fuel supplies in Gaza.
	The UK regularly raises issues relating to the situation in Gaza, and the restrictions faced by the local population, with the Israeli, Palestinian and Egyptian authorities.

Palestinians

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to secure the release of Palestinian footballer Mahmoud Sarsak; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We continue to monitor the situation of the three Palestinian detainees still on hunger strike, including that of Mahmoud Sarsak, who is detained under Israel's unlawful combatants law. We understand that his medical condition has deteriorated and that he has started to take some liquids. We are also aware of reports that there are ongoing negotiations around his case.
	We have instructed our embassy in Tel Aviv to make clear our concerns to the Israeli authorities on this and related cases. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and I have also regularly raised with the Israeli authorities the issues of conditions in Israeli prisons, administrative detention and the situation of hunger strikers in general.

Palestinians

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold discussions with his EU counterparts in order to (a) lift restrictions on exports from Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing and (b) reduce the permitted fishing limit off the coast of Gaza from 20 nautical miles to three; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: In close co-ordination with our EU partners and the Office of the Quartet Representative, we continue to press the Israeli Government at ministerial and official level to ease restrictions on access, imports and exports, including access to fishing areas. We welcome some recent steps in this direction, including the first exports of textile goods from Gaza to the UK.
	The EU Foreign Affairs Council issued conclusions on 14 May 2012 stating:
	“Fully recognising Israel's legitimate security needs, the EU continues to call for the immediate, sustained and unconditional opening of crossings for the flow of humanitarian aid, commercial goods and persons to and from the Gaza Strip, the situation of which is unsustainable as long as it remains politically separated from the West Bank. Despite limited progress, the EU urges the government of Israel to take further meaningful and far-reaching steps allowing for the reconstruction and economic recovery of the Gaza Strip, including by allowing trade with the West Bank and Israel.”
	The full text of the conclusions can be found at:
	www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/130248.pdf

Palestinians

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect on the civilian population of the economic blockade of the Gaza strip; and if he make a statement.

Alistair Burt: As I saw when I visited Gaza in July 2011, the Israeli restrictions on movements of goods and people, including on access to agricultural and fishing areas, are doing significant and measurable damage to the economy and living standards of ordinary people in Gaza. It has been estimated that the Israeli movement and access restrictions as a whole are costing the Palestinian economy up to 85% of its gross domestic product every year. It is our firm belief that, whilst the restrictions have been imposed by Israel on security grounds, their effect is contrary to Israel's long-term security interests by fostering radicalisation, enriching Hamas and punishing the ordinary population.
	The UK frequently raises with the Israeli authorities our concerns on the impact of restrictions on Gaza. We welcomed some recent steps in this direction, including the first exports of textile goods from Gaza to the UK. Together with EU partners, we are urging Israel to:
	“take further meaningful and far-reaching steps allowing for the reconstruction and economic recovery of the Gaza Strip, including by allowing trade with the West Bank and Israel”,
	in the words of the EU Foreign Affairs Council Conclusions of May 2012.

Turks and Caicos Islands

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the introduction of VAT in the Turks and Caicos Islands; and if he will make a statement.

Henry Bellingham: The introduction of VAT is a decision for the Turks and Caicos Islands Government. Their decision was based on thorough research and an assessment that VAT would offer a simpler, equitable and stable revenue source. A decision to introduce VAT was announced in the 2011-12 budget statement. A Green Paper on VAT implementation was published in May and consultation is under way on this.

Western Sahara

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received any reports of the boarding of a Swedish operated vessel, Meya, in Dakhla, Western Sahara, on 23 April 2012 by Saharawi fishermen protesting about economic marginalisation; and whether he has any plans to raise the issue with the Moroccan or Swedish ambassadors.

Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not received any reports regarding this incident and has no plans to raise the issue with the Moroccan or Swedish ambassador. However, we discuss issues surrounding the natural resources of Western Sahara with Morocco on a regular basis.
	The UK abstained on the European Council vote to extend the EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement in February 2012. We will continue to encourage Morocco to demonstrate that all economic activity off the coastline of Western Sahara is conducted to the benefit and according to the wishes of the population of Western Sahara.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Atos

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total monetary value of each contract between his Department and Atos is.

Alan Duncan: DFID has four centrally awarded contracts with Atos.
	Details of the contracts including title, total monetary value and type, are in the following table.
	Two of the four contracts are framework agreements. Until mini-competitions are run with all the suppliers on the framework against an actual requirement, there is no commitment and no guarantee of the value of business which may be awarded.
	
		
			 Contract title Contract type Total monetary value (£m) 
			 Safety and Access to Justice Programme Contract 17.76 
			 Federal Public Administration Reform Programme in Nigeria Contract 21.76 
			 Fragile And Conflict Affected States Framework Agreement Framework (1)50.00 
			 Governance and Security Framework Agreement Framework (1)200.00 
			 (1)Total estimated framework value.

Biofuels: EU Action

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions his Department has had with the European Commission about the forthcoming Commission report on the social sustainability of biofuels; and if he will propose that the Commission puts forward suggestions for corrective action that will address issues raised in that report.

Stephen O'Brien: The Government takes the issue of biofuel sustainability seriously and the Department for Transport has had discussions with the European Commission on biofuel sustainability, including the issue of indirect land use changes (ILUC) and wider sustainability issues. ILUC occurs when changing the use to biofuel production can result in net increases in greenhouse gas emissions or when biofuels are grown on land that was or would otherwise have been used for an alternative use.
	The Department for International Development has not yet had discussions with the European Commission about the forthcoming report on the social sustainability of biofuels. As agreed under the renewable energy directive (RED) adopted by the EU in 2009, this report is required to address issues of land use rights, and also state whether the production of raw material for biofuel for use in the EU complies with conventions of the International Labour Organisation. If necessary, also according to the RED, the Commission must propose corrective action. The Government will press for proper account to be taken of the social impacts of bioenergy production in EU policy.

Developing Countries: Poverty

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of trends in the incidence of hunger in (a) China and (b) the poorest 20 countries over the last 20 years.

Stephen O'Brien: DFID does not have its own assessment of trends in the incidence of hunger in China. But research has shown that between 1990 and 2006 the share of undernourished people in China fell from 15% to 10%. We are collaborating with China to strengthen global agriculture and food security and to help poor countries reduce their hunger levels.
	Global hunger has declined since 1990, but not enough progress has been made. Some of the poorest countries have reduced their hunger levels, but often not sufficiently to meet the Millennium Development Goal on hunger. Countries which have not made progress or where hunger has increased, suffer from fragility and conflict, climate change and high levels of disease. Between 2011 and 2015, UK funding will help 4 million people to have enough food to eat throughout the year. In addition, we will reach 20 million children and their mothers at risk of malnutrition. In particular, we will help people in fragile countries. Our social protection programmes help people cope with shocks, including high food prices, which threaten to undermine success in reducing hunger.

Developing Countries: Rabies

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make it a condition of providing overseas aid to improve health services in order to deal with rabies eradication or prevention that dog culls will not occur as part of the containment response.

Stephen O'Brien: DFID does not provide assistance to developing countries for the eradication of rabies.
	Our bilateral aid programme provides assistance to developing countries to help them strengthen their health systems, including the capacity of health workers, access to essential medicines and treatment for those suffering from a wide range of health problems. It is for those countries to determine how they tackle specific health challenges that emerge. This would include rabies in those countries where this has been identified and included in the national health plan.

International Assistance

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his priorities are for the work of the UN High Level Panel on post-Millennium Development Goals.

Andrew Mitchell: I am very pleased that the Prime Minister has been asked by the UN Secretary General to co-chair the High Level Panel on a framework to replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Our immediate priority is for the High Level Panel to hear from others about their priorities. I want to encourage all parties to engage, including citizens (especially the most vulnerable and marginalised), the private sector, and civil society.

Procurement

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total (a) number and (b) value of contracts issued by (i) his Department and (ii) bodies for which he is responsible which were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Alan Duncan: DFID's spend with small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) has been reported in the Cabinet Office report, “Making Government business more accessible to SMEs—One Year On”. This can be found at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/making-government-business-more-accessible-smes-one-year

Sahel

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on responding to the food crisis in the Sahel.

Andrew Mitchell: Britain has responded quickly and consistently to provide assistance to the worst affected areas, but it is vital that other donors step forward to carry their share of the international response. To this end I have personally spoken with Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, and Pascal Canfin, the French Development Minister.
	Officials from my Department have also met with representatives from the Governments of France, Denmark, Ireland, Sweden and the Netherlands; lobbied a group of officials from Nordic countries, and raised the Sahel crisis at a meeting attended by representatives from EU member states.
	We will continue to engage in regular discussions with our counterparts in other governments, within the European Union and beyond, to help ensure an effective response.

Sahel

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to respond to the food crisis in the Sahel.

Andrew Mitchell: In direct response to severe food shortages in the Sahel region of West Africa, I have announced three packages of UK support to help mitigate the crisis, one in January, one in March and one earlier this month.
	Through this assistance, British aid will support over 1.4 million people at risk of hunger across Mali, Niger, Chad, Mauritania and Burkina Faso. More than 100,000 children at risk of starvation in across the region will receive immediate lifesaving treatment.
	As well as responding to the current crisis, the UK is supporting efforts to promote resilience in the Sahel. We believe that helping communities to become more resistant to climatic and economic shocks must be a priority, to prevent future food insecurity in the region.
	UK officials continue to monitor the situation closely and liaise with their opposite numbers in other Governments to ensure that other countries take their fair share of the response.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how long on average people waited in accident and emergency at York Hospital before being treated in (a) 1992 and (b) each year since 1992.

Simon Burns: Information is not available in the format requested.
	Information on accident and emergency (A&E) performance for York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (FT) for 2002-03 onwards is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Total time spent in Type 1 A&E 
			  1 hour or less 1 to 2 hours 2 to 3 hours 3 to 4 hours Over 4 hours Time not recorded Total Percentage within 4 hours 
			 2002-03 14,066 18,452 11,263 7,374 5,570 0 56,725 90.2 
			 2003-04 17,059 20,319 11,640 6,100 5,367 0 60,485 91.1 
			 2004-05 18,707 21,242 12,282 7,527 3,941 0 63,699 93.8 
			 2005-06 18,703 22,960 13,118 8,005 909 0 63,695 98.6 
			 2006-07 20,105 21,257 13,306 9,550 1,679 0 65,897 97.5 
			 2007-08 17,454 21,552 13,278 10,102 2,272 0 64,658 96.5 
			 2008-09 21,433 22,037 13,458 9,141 2,218 0 68,287 96.8 
			 2009-10 21,079 22,153 15,048 11,527 1,686 0 71,493 97.6 
			 2010-11 20,450 21,659 16,295 13,057 2,751 0 74,212 96.3 
			 2011-12 n/a n/a n/a n/a 3,693 n/a 72,914 94.9 
			 n/a—Represents the figures that are not available Notes: 1. It is not possible to calculate an accurate average time that people have waited in A&E at York Teaching Hospital NHS FT before being treated. 2. Data on A&E performance have been collected in the QMAE from 2002-03 onwards and was only collected in hourly time brackets up to four hours and over. 3. These data focus on the percentage of people treated in A&E within four hours. 4. Comparable A&E data from before 2002-03 are not available. 5. The QMAE collection was suspended in 2011-12. Therefore, the figures for 2011-12 have been taken from the Weekly A&E data collection. 6. The Weekly A&E data collection only collects data on the total number of patients seen and the number of patients who waited over four hours. Source: Quarterly Monitoring of Accident and Emergency Dataset (QMAE) and Weekly A&E data

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people under the age of 18 years in each (a) socio-economic, (b) ethnic and (c) gender group were admitted to hospital with suspected alcohol-induced conditions in each of the last 10 years.

Anne Milton: The tables contain estimates of the number of admissions involving a mention of an alcohol-related condition as a primary or secondary diagnosis, split by economic group, ethnicity and gender for the years 2002-03 to 2010-11. 2002-03 is the earliest year for which information is available.
	The figures include estimates based on admissions involving conditions that are partially attributable to alcohol, as well as counts of admissions involving conditions wholly attributable to alcohol. The former are calculated using evidence about the proportion of diseases and injuries attributable to alcohol.
	The attributable fractions are not applicable to children under 16. Therefore figures for this age group relate only to wholly-attributable admissions.
	Comparisons over time are affected by improvements in the recording of secondary diagnoses.
	The data in the tables should not be described as a count of people as the same person may have been admitted on more than one occasion.
	
		
			 Estimated number of admissions involving an alcohol-related condition(1) for people aged under 18, split by socio-economic group(2), ethnicity(3), and gender for the years 2002-03 to 2010-11(4) 
			 Activity in English national health service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			 Socio-Economic Group 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Least deprived 10% 686 773 788 899 857 872 803 778 754 
			 Less deprived 10% to 20% 830 813 875 999 906 961 887 892 843 
		
	
	
		
			 Less deprived 20% to 30% 782 880 915 996 965 1,092 966 903 894 
			 Less deprived 30% to 40% 795 904 989 1,164 1,156 1,124 970 958 916 
			 Less deprived 40% to 50% 891 951 1,029 1,234 1,263 1,200 1,013 1,037 986 
			 More deprived 40% to 50% 1,025 1,110 1,224 1,375 1,365 1,360 1,219 1,197 1,172 
			 More deprived 30% to 40% 1,238 1,270 1,413 1,488 1,469 1,444 1,334 1,346 1,325 
			 More deprived 20% to 30% 1,248 1,447 1,580 1,734 1,740 1,738 1,533 1,595 1,468 
			 More deprived 10% to 20% 1,517 1,606 1,786 1,876 1,973 1,983 1,706 1,852 1,669 
			 Most deprived 10% 1,886 2,174 2,230 2,456 2,591 2,503 2,243 2,126 2,165 
			 Unknown 96 132 167 209 201 238 173 147 139 
		
	
	
		
			  Ethnic Group 2002-03(5) 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 A British (White) 5,305 6,723 7,755 9,354 10,111 10,722 9,829 10,103 9,645 
			 B Irish (White) 10 15 18 23 25 24 23 24 27 
			 C Any other White background 233 250 287 258 250 267 261 282 283 
			 D White and Black Caribbean (Mixed) 29 30 29 42 51 44 69 62 74 
			 E White and Black African (Mixed) 5 11 7 6 6 16 13 14 16 
			 F White and Asian (Mixed) 12 13 13 11 30 49 43 39 39 
			 G Any other Mixed background 24 26 25 49 54 69 68 76 77 
			 H Indian (Asian or Asian British) 52 78 79 68 88 86 97 95 105 
			 J Pakistani (Asian or Asian British) 59 69 103 115 92 121 148 159 161 
			 K Bangladeshi (Asian or Asian British) 15 21 28 29 35 56 51 53 62 
			 L Any other Asian background) 24 27 34 40 51 65 70 90 96 
			 M Caribbean (Black or Black British) 40 55 48 59 62 74 71 80 87 
			 N African (Black or Black British) 29 38 43 49 73 68 76 102 119 
			 P Any other Black background 44 63 66 70 94 96 99 102 116 
			 R Chinese (other ethnic group) 13 16 9 8 8 10 13 16 16 
			 S Any other ethnic group 80 85 103 159 166 188 180 211 225 
			 X Not known 244 898 898 898 802 651 362 313 285 
			 Z Not stated 3,648 3,642 3,450 3,192 2,490 1,909 1,373 1,009 901 
			 0 White 427 — — — — — — — — 
			 1 Black—Caribbean 7 — — — — — — — — 
			 2 Black—African 2 — — — — — — — — 
			 3 Black—Other 4 — — — — — — — — 
			 4 Indian 0 — — — — — — — — 
			 5 Pakistani 2 — — — — — — — — 
			 6 Bangladeshi 1 — — — — — — — — 
			 8 Any other ethnic group 7 — — — — — — — — 
			 9 Not given 677 — — — — — — — — 
		
	
	
		
			 Gender 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Male 5,467 5,848 6,203 6,879 6,905 6,646 5,909 5,838 5,563 
		
	
	
		
			 Female 5,527 6,211 6,793 7,551 7,580 7,869 6,937 6,993 6,769 
			 (1) Alcohol-related admissions The number of alcohol-related admissions is based on the methodology developed by the North West Public Health Observatory, which uses 48 indicators for alcohol-related illnesses, determining the proportion of a wide range of diseases and injuries that can be partly attributed to alcohol as well as those that are, by definition, wholly attributable to alcohol. Further information on these proportions can be found at: www.nwph.net/nwpho/publications/AlcoholAttributableFractions.pdf The application of the NWPHO methodology has recently been updated and is now available directly from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). As such, information about episodes estimated to be alcohol related may be slightly different from previously published data. (2) Socio-economic group The socio-economic group used is derived from the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). IMD is a measure of multiple deprivation which ranks the relative deprivation of each area of England in a number domains (such as crime and income) and then combines the individual scores to produce a composite score for each area. The patient's residential postcode is then mapped to one of these areas, and summarised into 10 groups for presentation. The version of IMD used was published in 2004. Available at: www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/131206.pdf for further details. (3) Ethnicity Ethnicity data may not be good enough to allow accurate analysis, including analysis of ethnic differences. Ethnic group was collected from 1 April 1995 to 31 March 2002 and Ethnic category, using the definitions in the 2001 census, from 1 April 2002. Patients are asked to select their category from a standard list, and some decline to do this. Data may therefore be incomplete and of poor quality. (4) Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data. (5) There was a change in the ethnic categories during this period and while some providers adopted the new definitions others still used the old definition. Data quality: HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. Activity included: Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre

Antibiotics

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidance the NHS issues on the use of the antibiotic fluoroquinolones and third and fourth generation cephalosporins to treat people who do not have an infection but might be at risk of infection;
	(2)  whether he has received recent representations on (a) cephalosporin and (b) fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli;
	(3)  what steps his Department is taking to prevent the spread of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria;
	(4)  what recent steps he has taken to tackle drug resistant E. coli;
	(5)  how many representations he has received on antibiotic resistance relating to the treatment of E. coli in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(6)  what guidance his Department provides to doctors on the desirability of limiting the use of (a) fluoroquinolones and (b) 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins.

Anne Milton: The Department, with other organisations such as the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, have a wide range of initiatives that promote responsible prescribing and good infection prevention and control practice to minimise antimicrobial resistance. These include participation in the annual European Antibiotic Awareness Day on 18 November. Last year we used this day to launch new guidance for hospital preservers “Start Smart Then Focus”. This guidance reminds doctors to regularly review the use of broad spectrum antibiotics such as fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins and the need for effective infection prevention and control, for example, high standards of hand hygiene.
	The Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance (2010) expects health care providers to have procedures in place to ensure responsible prescribing of antimicrobials and antimicrobial stewardship and an ongoing programme to audit and review these procedures. The Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection keeps multiple resistant bacteria under review and advises, as necessary.
	In line with the Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance, the national health service will have local policies on antimicrobial prescribing. However, decisions on the antibiotics used for prophylaxis are made locally and this information is not collected centrally.
	A search of the Department's ministerial correspondence database has not identified any correspondence received since 1 May 2010 about cephalosporin or fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli. A search for correspondence received in the same period has identified two items of correspondence about antibiotic resistance relating to the treatment of E. coli. This is a minimum figure which represents correspondence received by the Department's central correspondence unit only.

Antibiotics

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on levels of use in the NHS of (a) fluoroquinolones and (b) 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins.

Anne Milton: Information on the number of prescriptions items for quinolones (including fluoroquinalones) and “third generation” cephalosporins dispensed in the community in England is shown in the following tables and is taken from the Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system. The PCA system uses the therapeutic classifications defined in the British National Formulary (BNF). There are no “fourth generation” cephalosporins listed in the British National Formulary (BNF).
	
		
			 Number of prescription items for quinolones(1) dispensed in the community in England 
			 Thousand 
			 BNF chemical name 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
			 Ciprofloxacin 1,185.9 1,049.9 929.7 881.0 821.6 
			 Levofloxacin 41.4 36.0 26.0 21.7 18.5 
			 Moxifloxacin 19.0 14.8 9.8 8.8 8.0 
			 Nalidixic Acid 1.1 1.0 0.9 0.6 0.7 
			 Norfloxacin 55.7 45.3 36.1 30.7 25.9 
			 Ofloxacin 47.0 40.1 36.6 33.5 37.4 
			 Total(2) 1,350.1 1,187.1 1,039.1 976.2 912.1 
			 (1) Medicines classified as quinolones in section 5.1.12 of the BNF. (2) Totals may not sum due to rounding. Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system 
		
	
	
		
			 Number of units of “third generation” cephalosporins(1) dispensed in the community in England 
			 Thousand 
			 BNF chemical name 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
			 Cefixime 14.5 12.1 10.0 8.6 7.4 
			 Cefotaxime Sodium 0.4 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 Cefpodoxime 0.8 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.6 
			 Ceftazidime Pentahydrate 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.4 
			 Ceftriaxone Sodium. 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.6 2.0 
			 Total(2) 17.5 15.0 12.8 11.6 10.6 
			 (1) Medicines classified as “third generation” cephalosporins in section 5.1.2.1 of the BNF. (2) Totals may not sum due to rounding. Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system 
		
	
	The Department holds no direct data on levels of use in secondary care.
	In the Health Protection Agency-led Point Prevalence Survey for 2011, which is a snapshot survey of antimicrobial use in acute hospitals in England, 34.7% of all hospital in-patients surveyed were receiving an antimicrobial. Of those patients surveyed, 855/52,443 (1.63%) were receiving a fluoroquinolone; 535 (1.02%) were receiving a third generation cephalosporin and two (0.003%) patients were receiving a fourth generation cephalosporin.
	The full report is available at:
	http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/HCAI/HCAIPointPrevalenceSurvey/
	The document has been placed in the Library.

Atos

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the total monetary value of each contract between his Department and Atos is;
	(2)  when each contract between his Department and Atos was most recently (a) agreed, (b) renewed and (c) extended.

Simon Burns: There is a contract with Atos for a five year managed service for the Department and a number of arm's length bodies to provide the internal desktop and information technology services solution called IMS3 (Information Management System). The total value for the IMS3 contract let to-date is £74.2 million and was awarded in January 2012. The contract includes an option for an additional two years service not included in this figure.
	There is a contract with Atos for Choose and Book. The value of the current contract variation with Atos for Choose and Book is £43.8 million. The original contract for Choose and Book was agreed in 2003. This contract was subsequently extended in December 2009 to December 2011. In December 2011, the contract was varied to allow a live service to continue up to December 2013.

Cancer

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency admissions for each type of cancer there were in each hospital trust in each of the last two years.

Paul Burstow: Information concerning the number of emergency admissions in England by type of cancer and by hospital trust has been placed in the Library. These data should not be referred to as a count of patients as the same patient may be admitted more than once within a year.

Carers

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much funding his Department allocated for carers (a) nationally and (b) in Milton Keynes in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what recent consultations he has undertaken on community-based respite care;

Paul Burstow: Nationally, we have made available funding of £400 million to the national health service between 2011 and 2015 to enable carers to take breaks from their caring responsibilities to sustain them in their caring role. This funding is available through primary care trust (PCT) baseline allocations. The NHS Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire PCT is currently identifying funding commitments for priority areas flagged up in the Operating Framework, including carers services.
	There have been no recent consultations on community-based respite care. However, the Department funded the National Carers' Strategy Demonstrator Sites programme which included sites exploring innovative ways of supporting carers, including breaks. An independent evaluation was undertaken by the Centre for International Research on Care, Labour and Equalities at Leeds university. The evaluation report can be accessed at:
	www.sociology.leeds.ac.uk/circle/news/new-approaches.php

Clinical Trials

Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are in place to ensure that clinical trials cannot be falsified for commercial purposes.

Simon Burns: Clinical trials are regulated by a European Directive Council Directive 2001/20/EC, which came into force in May 2004. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for the enforcement of this law, which was transposed into UK law under SI 2004/1031 as amended.
	Clinical studies for investigation of new medicinal products are required to comply with European Union standards for Good Clinical Practice. Companies are required to confirm that studies have been conducted according to EU standards for Good Clinical Practice within marketing authorisation applications. Professional assessors at the MHRA review the clinical study reports during the assessment of applications for marketing authorisations and consider the credibility of the data within that review.
	The MHRA's Licensing Division is responsible for the acceptance of the trials to be conducted and the subsequent review of any such data in Marketing Authorisation Applications. The MHRA's Good Clinical Practice Inspectorate conducts inspections to ensure that the patients' rights, safety and well being are protected and that data are credible. They do this by conducting inspections using a risk based approach.

Dementia

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on any effects of social contact and volunteering on delaying the onset of dementia;

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research he has commissioned on the effect of nutrition and exercise on the advance of dementia; and what the outcome was of any such research.

Paul Burstow: The Department has not commissioned or evaluated research specifically on any effects of social contact and volunteering on delaying the onset of dementia.
	Four new National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) biomedical research units in dementia are being funded for five years from April 2012. Some research at the units will include aspects of nutrition and exercise.
	The NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme is funding a £1.7 million trial of physical activity programmes for community dwelling people with mild to moderate dementia. The estimated date of publication of the report of the trial is late 2017.
	The Economic and Social Research Council and the NIHR will be working together to support an initiative with up to £13 million funding available for social science research on dementia. The call for proposals will open in the week commencing 9 July and will fund national or international social science research in dementia which can make a significant contribution to scientific, economic and social impact.
	The research agenda for the initiative encompasses prevention including public awareness and early presentation, public health of behaviour change including the role of social interventions in slowing cognitive decline, and delivery of interventions in hospitals, care homes and carers including the interface between professionals and lay people and patients.

Dementia

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the additional funding for dementia provided by his Department will be distributed to all constituent parts of the UK; and what proportion of such funding Northern Ireland will receive.

Paul Burstow: Responsibility for healthcare in Northern Ireland is devolved and funding is a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly.
	The combined value of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funding for research into dementia will increase from £26.6 million in 2009-10 to an estimated £66.3 million in 2014-15.
	The Department is responsible for health research in England and funds research through the NIHR. MRC and ESRC funding is available throughout the United Kingdom, and allocation is subject to open competition and peer review.

Diabetes

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were diagnosed with (a) type 1 and (b) type 2 diabetes last year.

Paul Burstow: Information on the rate of diagnosis is not available. Information from the National Diabetes Audit, in which national health service participation is still expanding, shows how many new registrations of diabetic patients were made last year.
	The following table shows how many people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes were newly registered with the National Diabetes Audit in 2009-10.
	
		
			 Diabetes type Registration from primary care Registrations from secondary care Total registrations 
			 Type 1 7,719 922 8,641 
			 Type 2 195,452 1,900 197,352 
			 MODY 54 2 56 
			 Other specified 3,545 1,372 4,917 
			 Not specified 2,824 2,876 5,700 
			 Total 209,594 7,072 216,666 
		
	
	In addition, there are 55,357 people with diabetes where the registration date has not been specified.

Dialysis Machines: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients a week received kidney dialysis in NHS centres in York on average in (a) 1992 and (b) each year since 1992.

Simon Burns: The information is not collected centrally.

Drugs: Young People

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effect of psychotropic drugs on young people.

Anne Milton: The most recent information on the effects of psychotropic drugs on young people is contained in the document published by the Department in August 2011: ‘A summary of the health harms of drugs: A guide to the risks and harms associated with substance misuse’. A copy of this document has been placed in the Library.

E. coli

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS reports there were of antibiotic resistant E. coli in (a) England, (b) each region and (c) each strategic health authority in each of the last six years.

Anne Milton: These data are not readily available. The Health Protection Agency publishes reports on selected individual antibiotics rather than on the total number of Escherichia coli (E.coli) reports with resistance to any antibiotics. Antibiotic susceptibility data for E. coli are not analysed and broken down to either national or sub-national levels.

E. coli

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many recorded cases of drug resistant E. coli were confirmed in each of the last five years.

Anne Milton: These data are not readily available in the form requested. The Health Protection Agency analyse and publish data on human blood samples of drug resistant Escherichia coli for a selected number of antibiotics. Latest data are available at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/webc/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1317134482059

E. coli

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases resistant E. coli were reported in each of the last five years.

Anne Milton: This information is not available. There is no national surveillance on the number of infections due to extended-spectrum beta-lactamase, (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli).
	The Department is in the process of commissioning research to provide information on the prevalence of the resistance caused by ESBL-producing bacteria. Details of this call for proposals and the expert group report outlined are available on the Department's website at:
	http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/02/research-esbl-producing-bacteria/
	The document has been placed in the Library.

Health

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has commissioned or funded any research into the opinions of hon. Members on issues of health policy since May 2010.

Simon Burns: The Department does not routinely commission or fund research of this nature and to obtain this information would incur disproportionate cost.

Health Insurance

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff working in his Department are entitled to private health care as part of their remuneration package.

Simon Burns: None of the civil servants in the Department are entitled to private health care as part of their remuneration packages.

Health Services: North Yorkshire

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what resources were allocated for NHS services in (a) York and (b) North Yorkshire and York (i) in cash terms and (ii) at current prices (A) in total and (B) per capita in (1) 1992 and (2) each year since 1992.

Simon Burns: Information on recurrent revenue allocations for York and North Yorkshire from 1996-97 is shown in the following table.
	Figures prior to 1996-97 are not available as allocations were made to the then 14 regional health authorities. Recurrent allocations are not fully comparable across the whole time period because of changes in the scope of the services funded through recurrent allocations and changes in organisational boundaries.
	
		
			 Revenue recurrent allocation for York and North Yorkshire 
			  Organisation Total recurrent allocations cash terms (£000) Total recurrent allocations in 2012-13 prices (£000) Recurrent allocations per capita cash terms (£) Recurrent allocations per capita in 2012-13 prices (£) 
			 1996-97 North Yorkshire Health Authority (HA) 291,504 416,279 396 565 
			 1997-98 North Yorkshire Health Authority 303,427 421,721 410 569 
			 1998-99 North Yorkshire Health Authority 318,712 436,765 430 589 
			 1999-2000 North Yorkshire Health Authority 434,879 583,990 587 788 
			 2000-01 North Yorkshire Health Authority 474,576 634,853 638 854 
			 2001-02 North Yorkshire Health Authority 512,685 673,405 685 899 
			 2002-03 North Yorkshire Health Authority 566,781 725,414 753 964 
			 2003-04 Craven, Harrogate and Rural District Primary Care Trust (PCT) 166,668 208,961 816 1,023 
			 2003-04 Hambleton and Richmondshire PCT 91,187 114,327 795 997 
			 2003-04 Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCT 138,792 174,011 894 1,121 
			 2003-04 Selby and York PCT 216,207 271,071 804 1,008 
		
	
	
		
			 2004-05 Craven, Harrogate and, Rural District PCT 181,585 221,308 889 1,083 
			 2004-05 Hambleton and Richmondshire PCT 99,349 121,082 866 1,056 
			 2004-05 Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCT 152,118 185,395 980 1,195 
			 2004-05 Selby and York PCT 235,557 287,087 876 1,068 
			 2005-06 Craven, Harrogate and Rural District PCT 197,111 235,435 965 1,152 
			 2005-06 Hambleton and Richmondshire PCT 107,843 128,811 940 1,123 
			 2005-06 Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCT 166,123 198,422 1,071 1,279 
			 2005-06 Selby and York PCT 255,791 305,524 951 1,136 
			 2006-07 Craven, Harrogate and Rural District PCT 235,518 272,290 1,131 1,307 
			 2006-07 Hambleton and Richmondshire PCT 129,360 149,557 1,076 1,244 
			 2006-07 Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCT 198,010 228,925 1,262 1,460 
			 2006-07 Selby and York PCT 307,131 355,084 1,112 1,285 
			 2007-08 Craven, Harrogate and Rural District PCT 254,740 287,882 1,217 1,376 
			 2007-08 Hambleton and Richmondshire PCT 139,918 158,121 1,156 1,306 
			 2007-08 Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCT 216,805 245,012 1,379 1,559 
			 2007-08 Selby and York PCT 335,917 379,620 1,209 1,367 
			 2008-09 North Yorkshire and York PCT 999,125 1,096,184 1,269 1,392 
			 2009-10 North Yorkshire and York PCT 1,076,587 1,160,322 1,347 1,451 
			 2010-11 North Yorkshire and York PCT 1,139,019 1,195,507 1,410 1,480 
			 2011-12 North Yorkshire and York PCT 1,151,558 1,182,650 1,444 1,483 
			 2012-13 North Yorkshire and York PCT 1,185,834 1,185,834 1,477 1,477 
			 Notes: 1. Allocations have been expressed in 2012-13 prices using the gross domestic product deflator. 2. Changes in the scope of recurrent allocations include in particular the inclusion of prescribing costs from 1999-2000 and primary medical services from 2006-07.

Health Services: North Yorkshire

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent NHS (a) hospital doctors, (b) GPs, (c) dentists, (d) nurses and midwives, (e) other clinical staff and (f) staff in total were employed in (i) York and (ii) North Yorkshire and York (A) in cash terms and (B) at current prices (1) in total and (2) per capita in (x) 1992 and (y) each year since 1992.

Simon Burns: Information cannot be provided in the format requested. The following tables show the cost of permanent and agency staff employed by the national health service from 2004-05 to 2010-11. In common with many other public and private sector organisations, the Department holds financial data at organisation level for seven years. Data prior to 2004-05 are not available.
	
		
			 North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) staff costs by category 
			 £000 
			 Category 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08. 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Total medical staff 12,619 13,376 14,359 15,420 17,485 15,659 18,005 
			 Total dental staff 824 1,108 1,024 939 982 987 998 
			 Total nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 48,260 56,250 56,930 54,628 50,079 52,522 51,548 
			 Total scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 16,627 18,877 19,208 19,930 20,326 20,556 22,997 
			 Healthcare assistants and other support staff 5,290 3,716 2,613 3,796 14,124 17,356 17,307 
			 Total staff costs 105,966 118,026 117,248 117,384 127,997 135,684 139,043 
			 Source: 2004-05 to 2010-11 PCT financial returns 
		
	
	
		
			 York Hospitals NHS Trust staff costs by category 
			 £000 
			 Category 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Total medical staff 27,149 29,686 34,372 n/a - n/a n/a n/a 
		
	
	
		
			 Total dental staff 0 2 1 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Total nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 33,027 38,145 42,090 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Total scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 15,875 17,454 18,550 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Healthcare assistants and other support staff 7,717 6,244 6,783 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Total staff costs 102,505 111,845 122,668 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Source: 2004-05 to 2010-11 NHS trusts financial returns 
		
	
	
		
			 Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS trust staff costs by category 
			 £000 
			 Category 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Total medical staff 2,262 1,477 39 0 12 8 285 
			 Total nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 232 218 302 317 572 417 193 
			 Total scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 
			 Healthcare assistants and other support staff 1,201 1,643 1,878 1,434 1,477 1,630 1,821 
			 Ambulance staff 73,801 88,867 88,314 90,397 106,189 112,456 113,065 
			 Total staff costs 100,122 115,226 108,439 110,796 132,867 142,579 143,710 
			 Source: 2004-05 to 2010-11 NHS trusts financial returns 
		
	
	Information on full-time equivalent data for all doctors and non-medical staff for the York Hospitals NHS Trust, North Yorkshire and York PCT and Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust has been placed in the Library.

Hearing Impairment: Health Services

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the communication needs of (a) people who are hard of hearing and (b) deaf British Sign Language users are met by the National Health Service.

Paul Burstow: In accordance with the Equality Act 2010, all public sector organisations have a general duty to advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic, including a disability such as hearing loss, and those who do not. Advancing equality involves taking steps to meet the needs of people from protected groups where these are different from the needs of other people—this would include considering the needs of people who are hard of hearing and deaf (including British Sign Language users).
	National health service organisations must assure themselves that they have complied with the Equality Act 2010. To help NHS organisations improve their equality performance and comply with the duties set out in the Equality Act 2010, the NHS Equality and Diversity Council launched the equality delivery system last year. The equality delivery system provides a common framework to support NHS organisations to address all protected characteristics covered by the public sector equality duty and help them deliver better outcomes for patients and better working environments for staff, which are personal, fair and diverse. It can be found at:
	www.eastmidlands.nhs.uk/about-us/inclusion/eds/

Home Care Services

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to deliver care at home packages.

Paul Burstow: Under the NHS and Community Care Act 1990, local council social services departments in England are responsible for assessing the needs of their populations and providing or arranging the necessary social care services, such as domiciliary care, to meet eligible needs.

Homeopathy

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the extent to which qualified homeopaths can dispense homeopathic remedies to patients; whether he has any plans to change this extent; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: Section 10 of the Medicines Act 1968 currently allows the preparation or dispensing in a registered pharmacy of a medicine in accordance with a specification furnished by the person to whom the product is to be sold or supplied. This would include preparations identified by a homeopath to meet the needs of a patient identified following a consultation. We have no plans to change the position.

Hospices

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department plans to take to increase the number of (a) NHS and (b) independent hospices.

Paul Burstow: It is for commissioners, working with NHS and independent providers, to identify any gaps in local palliative and end of life care provision, and put in place service development plans to address this identified need.
	However, adults' and children's hospices will be supported by the Department through a capital fund announced on 29 May 2012, which will make available up to £60 million through a competitive scheme to improve the physical environment and directly impact on the care that patients and families receive. This capital fund will be available to all independent and NHS hospices. Full details of the scheme, including the types of projects that will be supported, will be made available later this summer. However, it is expected that bids for funding to support the development of new hospices would be eligible for consideration, on the condition that such developments were supported by commissioners as part of their local service planning.

Hospital Beds

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what change there has been in the number of NHS beds in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) nationally in each year since 2005;
	(2)  how many NHS beds there were in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each year since 2005.

Simon Burns: The information is shown in the following tables:
	
		
			 Average daily number of available beds open overnight 2005-06 to 2011-12 
			   England North East Strategic Health Authority (SHA) South Tyneside Strategic Health Authority (SHA) South Tyneside Primary. Care Trust (PCT) 
			 2005-06 — 175,436 11,384 464 22 
			 2006-07 — 167,019 11,027 452 7 
			 2007-08 — 160,891 10,562 431 7 
			 2008-09 — 160,254 10,516 426 7 
			 2009-10 — 158,461 10,343 417 7 
			 2010-11 Q1 144,455 9,832 365 7 
			 2010-11 Q2 141,477 9,640 367 7 
			 2010-11 Q3 141,630 9,478 431 7 
			 2010-11 Q4 142,319 9,534 431 6 
			 2011-12 Q1 137,347 9,564 416 6 
			 2011-12 Q2 138,646 9,600 431 0 
			 2011-12 Q3 138,080 9,764 438 0 
			 2011-12 Q4 140,449 10,034 448 0 
			 Source: Department of Health KH03 
		
	
	
		
			 Average number of available beds open day only 2005-06 to 2011-12 
			   England North East SHA South Tyneside NHS FT South Tyneside PCT 
			 2005-06 — 9,726 718 40 0 
			 2006-07 — 10,342 741 40 0 
			 2007-08 — 10,479 721 40 0 
			 2008-09 — 10,959 793 40 0 
			 2009-10 — 11,221 829 40 0 
			 2010-11 Q1 11,783 823 40 0 
			 2010-11 Q2 10,990 857 40 0 
			 2010-11 Q3 10,916 797 39 0 
			 2010-11 Q4 11,328 867 53 0 
			 2011-12 Q1 10,703 767 53 0 
			 2011-12 Q2 11,468 817 53 0 
			 2011-12 Q3 11,324 794 53 0 
			 2011-12 Q4 11,715 808 53 0 
			 Source: Department of Health KH03

Hospitals: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS patients in York waited more than (a) six months and (b) three months for an inpatient admission in (i) the year ended March 1992 and (ii) each year since.

Simon Burns: Information is not available in the form requested. Information on the number of patients waiting over six months and over three months for in-patient admission at, what is now, York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust from March 1992 to March 2010 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Number of patients waiting more than six months and three months from decision to admit for in-patient admission at the end of March 
			 As at March each year Organisation (a) 6 months (b)3 months 
			 1992 York District Health Authority 1,137 1,834 
			 1993 York Health Services NHS Trust 841 1,777 
			 1994 York Health Services NHS Trust 1,591 2,969 
			 1995 York Health Services NHS Trust 1,294 2,844 
			 1996 York Health Services NHS Trust 1,112 2,414 
			 1997 York Health Services NHS Trust 1,317 3,138 
			 1998 York Health Services NHS Trust 2,744 4,651 
			 1999 York Health Services NHS Trust 1,641 3,368 
			 2000 York Health Services NHS Trust 1,752 3,540 
			 2001 York Health Services NHS Trust 1,884 3,488 
			 2002 York Health Services NHS Trust 1,900 3,697 
			 2003 York Health Services NHS Trust 1,711 3,416 
			 2004 York Health Services NHS Trust 826 2,542 
			 2005 York Health Services NHS Trust 532 2,076 
			 2006 York Health Services NHS Trust 0 1,490 
			 2007 York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 0 606 
			 2008 York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 0 227 
			 2009 York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 0 298 
			 2010 York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 0 132 
			 Note: Data on in-patient waiting lists not collected after March 2010. Source: Department of Health KH07 from March 1992 to March 2007 and MMRProv (monthly monitoring return) from March 2008 to March 2010. 
		
	
	Since 2007, waiting times on a referral to treatment (RTT) basis have been published. Information on the number of patients who (a) waited over six months and (b) over three months on an admitted RTT pathway at York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust between March 2008 and March 2012 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Number of patients that waited more than six months and three months from referral to start of in-patient (admitted) treatment in March 
			 As at March each year Organisation (a) 6 months (b) 3 months 
			 2008 York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 42 413 
			 2009 York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 46 529 
			 2010 York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 44 449 
			 2011 York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 38 530 
			 2012 York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 119 736 
			 Source: Department of Health monthly RTT return.

Hospitals: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS (a) inpatient admissions and (b) outpatient appointments there were at York Hospital in (i) 1992 and (ii) each year since 1992.

Simon Burns: Information on how many national health service inpatient admissions from 1998 to 2012 and outpatient appointments from 1992 to 2012 at what is now York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been placed in the Library. Information is not available for inpatient admissions from 1992.

Hospitals: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many full-time equivalent NHS (a) consultants, (b) junior hospital doctors, (c) nurses and midwives, (d) other clinical staff and (e) staff in total were employed at York hospitals (excluding mental health units) in (i) 1992 and (ii) each year since 1992;
	(2)  how many full-time equivalent NHS (a) consultants, (b) junior doctors, (c) nurses, (d) other clinical staff and (e) staff in total were employed at NHS mental health units in what is the 2012 City of York council area in each year since 1992.

Simon Burns: The information is not collected in the format requested. Information on the full-time equivalent data for all doctors and non-medical staff employed at the York Hospitals NHS Trust, North Yorkshire and York PCT and Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust has been placed in the Library.

Hospitals: Yorkshire and the Humber

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how long on average an NHS outpatient in (a) York, (b) North Yorkshire and York and (c) Yorkshire and the Humber waited from referral by a GP to their first consultation at hospital for (i) all specialties taken together and (ii) each specialty separately in each year since 1992;
	(2)  how long on average an NHS (a) inpatient and (b) day case patient from (i) York, (ii) North Yorkshire and York and (iii) Yorkshire and the Humber waited for treatment in (A) all specialties taken together and (B) each specialty separately in each year since 1992.

Simon Burns: These data can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Lead Ingestion

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what scientific research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on any effects of lead ingestion on the incidence of crime and anti-social behaviour.

Simon Burns: Neither the Department nor the Food Standards Agency (FSA) have carried out research on the effect of lead ingestion on crime and antisocial behaviour. The FSA has provided input to evaluations carried out by United Kingdom, European and international Committees that have assessed the safety of lead in food. These evaluations have included scientific studies on the effect of lead on behaviour.

Liver Disease: Death

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people died in England and Wales of liver disease in each of the last five years; where liver disease was most prevalent in each such year; and how many people who died from liver disease in each such year were aged (a) 16 to 25, (b) 26 to 40, (c) 41 to 60 and (d) over 60.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people died in England and Wales of liver disease in each of the last five years; where liver disease was most prevalent in each such year; and how many people who died from liver disease in each such year were aged (a) 16 to 25 (b) 26 to 40 (c) 41 to 60 and (d) over 60.(112200)
	The following table provides the number of deaths where the underlying cause was a liver disease in England and Wales broken down by age groups (a) 16-25 (b) 26-40 (c) 41-60 and (d) over 60 for the years 2006 to 2010 (the latest year available).
	ONS does not hold data on the prevalence of liver disease only of those whose underlying cause of death was liver disease.
	The number of deaths registered in England and Wales each year by sex, age, cause and place of death are published annually and are available here:
	www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/all-releases.html?definition=tcm%3A77-27475
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of deaths where the underlying cause was liver disease in England and Wales by age group, 2006-10(1,2) 
			 Deaths (persons) 
			 Age group 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 16-25 15 14 25 24 15 
			 26-40 640 599 650 643 649 
			 41-60 3,645 3,745 3,698 3,558 3,584 
			 Over 60 2,971 3,030 3,137 3,091 3,252 
			 All ages 7,281 7,402 7,517 7,326 7,503 
			 (1) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year and include non-residents. (2) Cause of death for liver disease was defined using the International Classifications of Diseases Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes K70-K69.

Low Birthweight Babies

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the potential effects of low birth weight on the well-being of (a) babies, (b) infants and (c) children; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The Department recognises that low birth weight is undesirable as it is associated with adverse effects on the health outcomes of babies, infants and children, and into adulthood. This is supported by an assessment of the evidence from the Health Development Agency published in 2003, a copy of which can be accessed at:
	www.nice.org.uk/niceMedia/documents/low_birth_weight_evidence_briefing.pdf

Medical Records: Databases

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has for future use of electronic health records; and what cost efficiencies he expects to result from this.

Simon Burns: Some electronic health records already exist but the quality of data currently held is variable and the Government's information strategy for health and social care in England commits us to effecting significant and lasting improvements. The strategy, “The Power of Information” which was published on 21 May 2012, sets out a vision in which we will all have secure electronic access to our own health and care records. This will include access to letters, test results, personal care plans and needs assessments.
	Electronic access to our own care records, where we request this, will start with GP records by 2015 and our social care records as soon as information technology systems allow.
	In addition, health and care professionals will be able to access relevant records online, simply, securely and all in one place. These professionals will lead better, more standardised and useful recording of information in our records, wherever possible capturing data at the point of care.
	Data from our records will be combined and linked with other data in a secure-environment, then made anonymous. This aggregated data can then be used to audit quality, improve services, guide commissioning, support research and identify trends and patterns of health.
	The strategy has already been placed in the Library and is available at:
	http://informationstrategy.dh.gov.uk/
	The full economic cost of implementing “The Power of Information” has been estimated at £1,275 million over 10 years. Health and efficiency gains over the same period have been estimated at £6,334 million. Therefore, we estimate that over 10 years the net economic benefit to the taxpayer will be £5,059 million.

Medical Treatments: Research

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to encourage the healthcare industry to employ new graduates in clinical research.

Simon Burns: The Government's Strategy for UK Life Sciences, launched in December 2011, introduces a suite of incentives designed to ensure that the sector has the skills it needs at all levels. These include the development of an accreditation programme by the Society of Biology for degrees in the biological sciences and the Sector Skills Council—Cogent—developing an industrial placements programme for the sector, which will equip graduates with a range of business and employability skills.
	There are also a number of other initiatives in this area. These include the Royal Society and the Wellcome Trust's Sir Henry Dale Fellowship programme for outstanding young biomedical scientists looking to build an independent research career in the United Kingdom, and the Medical Research Council doctoral training programme in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, developed in partnership with the universities of Liverpool and Manchester.

Medical Treatments: Research

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of clinical research professionals;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to develop clinical research in the UK;
	(3)  what his policy is on accredited training for clinical research professionals;
	(4)  what plans he has to make the UK a centre for excellence for clinical research training and education.

Simon Burns: The Government has demonstrated a strong and urgent commitment to clinical research in the White Paper ‘Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS’, in the 2010 spending review, in establishing the Health Research Authority, and in the powers and duties set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2012.
	Established in 2006, the Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) aims to create a health research system in which the national health service supports outstanding individuals, working in world class facilities, conducting leading edge research focused on the needs of patients and the public.
	The Faculty is at the heart of the NIHR. It includes all of the NIHR funded people working in the NHS, universities and registered charities in England, who generate research ideas in clinical and applied healthcare research, lead or support this research, and evaluate the effectiveness of healthcare interventions and policies.
	The Faculty has goals to build a leading research capability to attract, develop and retain the best clinical, health service and public health research professionals, and to provide support to the academic training paths for all healthcare professionals and other key disciplines involved in health and social care research.
	The ‘Strategy for UK Life Sciences’ included a commitment to fund clinical research leaders who can make a real difference early in their careers. In February this year the Government announced eight new NIHR Research Professorships, and the second Professorship competition is in progress.
	There has been an increase in training opportunities available for clinical research professionals in the last three years. The NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) provides standardised courses in Good Clinical Practice (GCP) for staff delivering NIHR CRN portfolio studies.

Mental Health Services

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on mental health services in Worcestershire in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Paul Burstow: Information on all expenditure on mental health services in Worcestershire, is not held centrally.
	However, in 2010-11 expenditure on mental health by Worcestershire primary care trust was £106.2 million. The data for 2011-12 are not currently available.

Mental Health Services: Veterans

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what NHS facilities are available for veterans with mental health issues in Worcestershire.

Simon Burns: This Government considers the health and wellbeing of its armed forces personnel, veterans and their families to be a top priority. My hon. Friend the Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison), published his review of mental health services for the armed forces and veterans in October 2010, and funding of £7.2 million was immediately announced to implement his recommendations. As a result, England as a whole now benefits from a number of enhanced services targeted at veterans' mental health and wellbeing. There is the 24-hour helpline run by Rethink, in partnership with Combat Stress; the emotional health support service Big White Wall; and a general practitioner awareness-raising e-learning package run with the Royal College of General Practitioners. In addition, enhanced veterans' mental health support services are now being put in place across the country; by the end of this calendar year they will be up and running across England.
	Turning to Worcestershire more specifically, Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust have an established and effective service and pathway to respond to post traumatic stress disorder. Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust provide a specific post traumatic stress disorder therapy as required. Improving Access to Psychological Therapies service is also in a position to support and refer as appropriate. NHS Worcestershire also continues to work proactively with military colleagues to promote early identification of service personnel who are likely to require follow up by health and social care services. There are also a number of organisations dedicated to meeting the needs of ex-service personnel locally and they provide effective follow up and signposting to this group of people. There is a veterans multi-agency forum that meets annually where updates and good practice are shared.

Mental Illness: Children

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the World Health Organisation's prediction of a 50% increase in the rate of childhood mental illness between 2005 and 2020; and whether his Department has made a comparative estimate for England.

Paul Burstow: The King's Fund report, “Paying the Price, The cost of Mental Health Care in England to 2026”, published in 2008, which has been placed in the Library, predicted that the number of children with conduct disorders, emotional disorders, hyperkinetic disorder (ADHD) and co-morbid disorders will increase by 13.3% between 2007 and 2026.
	Nearly 10% of children aged five to 16 suffer from a clinically recognisable mental disorder. Half of those with lifetime mental health problems first experience symptoms before the age of 14, and three quarters before their mid-20s. The Government's mental health strategy “No Health Without Mental Health: a cross-Government mental health outcomes strategy for people of all ages” takes a life course approach and emphasises the importance of providing equal access to age-appropriate services.
	Key to reducing the estimated £105 billion annual cost of mental ill-health to the economy is to intervene early to stop problems developing and to prevent illness through public mental health and well-being actions. The Government have taken action in a number of areas including increasing the number of health visitors to improve early intervention, extending improving access to psychological therapies to children and young people, starting work on extending training for people working with youngsters outside of health settings, such as in schools or youth groups, and commissioning a children's health outcomes strategy.

Mental Illness: Drugs

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with health authorities on the use and provision of donepezil for those with dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Paul Burstow: We have had no such discussions. The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence issued technology appraisal guidance in March 2011 that recommends donepezil as an option for the management of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Decisions on the prescribing of donepezil are made by individual clinicians.

Neurology

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what data will be provided to support clinical commissioning groups in the commissioning and evaluation of neurological services;
	(2)  what steps he plans to take to support improvements in the commissioning of neurological services.

Paul Burstow: A number of tools and resources already exist to support the commissioning and evaluation of neurological services. These include the long-term neurological conditions reference dataset and neurological indicators within national health service comparators, which are available from the Information Centre.
	The neurological charities have also produced a quality neurology audit and evaluation tool, which allows commissioners to receive a comprehensive evaluation of how an organisation fulfils all of the quality requirements specified in the national service framework for long-term neurological conditions.
	Additionally, Neurological Commissioning Support, which was established by the MS Society, Motor Neurone Disease Society and Parkinson's UK, have developed Neuronavigator, a tool to help commissioners to understand the complexity of support and services that need to be provided for people affected by a long-term neurological condition
	A number of developments to the health and care system, provided for by the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and wider health reforms, will ensure improved access and more local accountability for services for neurological conditions.
	The NHS Outcomes Framework defines and enables measurement of the key outcomes that matter to patients. All five domains within the framework have relevance to long-term neurological conditions, while domain two, enhancing the quality of life for people with long-term neurological conditions, seeks to capture specific information on how successfully the NHS is supporting people with long-term conditions to live as normal a life as possible
	The NHS Commissioning Board, supported by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), will develop a Commissioning Outcomes Framework (COF), which will inform national and local priority setting. The draft indicators published earlier this year by NICE for potential inclusion in COF include indicators derived from the NHS Outcomes Framework.
	The NHS Commissioning Board will take on responsibility for certain specialist services. The Department is working with NHS colleagues who currently commission specialised services towards producing a list of services for direct commissioning by the board.
	Additionally, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) will have flexibility to decide how best to commission other low-volume services, for example through collaboration and lead commissioner arrangements.
	Health and Wellbeing Boards will have a strong role in direct commissioning and promoting locally integrated provision. The local authority and clinical commissioning groups will be required to undertake a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment through the Health and Wellbeing Board, leading to a Health and Wellbeing Strategy. This will provide an objective analysis of local current and future needs for adults and children spanning the NHS, social care and public health, and potentially wider issues such as housing or education.

NHS: Empty Property

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) vacant, (b) unoccupied and (c) surplus office spaces in NHS properties are managed by (i) hospital trusts, (ii) primary care trusts and (iii) other NHS bodies; what the value is of such properties; and how much was spent on maintaining them in the latest period for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: Information is not collected centrally on national health service office space that is vacant, unoccupied or surplus.

NHS: Finance

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has any plans to change the formula for NHS resource allocation; and whether he has undertaken any consultation on this matter.

Simon Burns: From 2013 the NHS Commissioning Board will be responsible for the future allocation of resources to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and the Department will make a ring-fenced public health grant to local authorities for their new public health responsibilities.
	We are committed to robust, needs-based approaches to the allocation of resources to both CCGs and local authorities, to support their new public health responsibilities. The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), has asked the Advisory Committee on resource allocation (ACRA), an independent expert committee, to make recommendations that support this.
	On 14 June, the Department published “Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Update on Public Health Funding”. This set out ACRA's interim recommendations on the preferred distribution of public health resources, as well as providing an update on the health premium incentive, and setting out the proposed conditions on the public health grant, including proposals for reporting. A copy of this document and supporting technical documents have been placed in the Library. The document can be accessed on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/06/ph-funding-la/
	We welcome feedback on the proposed approach to the preferred distribution of public health resources and will engage with a range of stakeholders, including public health and local government representatives and the wider national health service community. This feedback will inform ACRA's continuing work to finalise its recommendations for actual 2013-14 allocations to be published by the end of 2012.
	Further details on ACRA's recommendations relating to the allocation of resources to CCGs will be published in due course.

NHS: Staff

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent NHS (a) consultants and (b) junior doctors were employed in each clinical specialty at hospitals in York (i) in cash terms and (ii) at current prices (A) in total and (B) per capita in (1) 1992 and (2) each year since 1992.

Simon Burns: The information is not available in the format requested. Full-time equivalent staff totals for national health service staff employed at York Hospitals NHS Trust and North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust, in each clinical speciality from 1992 and each year since have been placed in the Library.

NHS: Pensions

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pension lump sums paid in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12 under the NHS pension scheme were valued at (i) £100,000 to £199,999, (ii) £200,000 to £299,999 and (iii) £300,000 and above.

Simon Burns: The information requested is shown in the following table. The requested data are not currently available for the months between February and March 2012.
	
		
			  Number of lump sums paid 
			 Lump sum paid 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12(1) 
			 £100,000 to £199,999 2,069 2,636 2,277 
			 £200,000 to £299,999 641 862 709 
			 £300,000 and above 411 613 454 
			 (1) As at January 2012 Source: NHS Business Services Authority

NHS: Reorganisation

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of NHS reorganisation in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) nationally in the latest period for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: National health service bodies are constantly in the process of reorganisation to modernise services and improve value for money. We do not monitor the cost of all local reorganisations.

Nursing and Midwifery Council: Fees and Charges

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he plans to have with the Nursing and Midwifery Council on its consultation on the annual fee for registered nurses.

Anne Milton: I met with the chair and chief executive of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) on 10 May 2012. In this meeting, the NMC advised of their intention to consult on raising its registration fees.
	As an independent statutory body, the fee which the NMC proposes to charge is a matter essentially for them, after having consulted their registrants and the wider public, and subject to Privy Council approval of the statutory instrument required to make any change.
	The Government has already publicly made it clear to all the health regulators that we would not expect to see rises in registration fees unless an increase is essential to enable them to fulfil their statutory duties, and we await the outcome of the consultation.

Nutrition

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on advertising the benefits of good nutrition to (a) adults, (b) children and (c) pregnant women in each of the last five years.

Anne Milton: The Department's External Relations Directorate (formally Communications Directorate) has not run any stand-alone campaigns on the benefits of good nutrition. Information on any other promotional work on nutrition that may be run on behalf of the Department is not held centrally and cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost.
	The yearly spend on figures for the Change4Life advertising campaign, which includes nutrition, began in January 2009, and is as follows. To split by the required groups would also incur disproportionate costs.
	
		
			 Change4Life advertising (media) spends 
			  £ 
			 2009-10 (1)9,150,000 
			 2010-11 (2)1,610,000 
			 2011-12 (2)2,900,000 
			 (1) Figure is net media plus agency fees and commissions (rounded to nearest £10,000) but excluding production and COI fees and VAT. (2) Provisional figures based on local records (rounded to nearest £10,000). Figures exclude VAT, production and COI fees.

Nutrition

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will estimate the average level of consumption of (a) salt, (b) hydrogenated fat, (c) refined sugar and (d) saturated fat by (i) adults and (ii) children in each of the last five years; and what assessment he has made of the effects of these foods on (A) physical and (B) psychological well-being;
	(2)  what recent assessment his Department has made of the addictive qualities of (a) high fat and (b) high sugar diets on (i) children and (ii) adults;
	(3)  if he will make an assessment of the 2002 recommendation of the US Food and Nutrition Board on the zero intake of trans fats;
	(4)  if he will make an assessment of any effects of (a) sugar and (b) fish oil consumption on the patient outcomes for (i) schizophrenia and (ii) depression;
	(5)  what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the intake of highly unsaturated fatty acids on the childhood incidence of (a) dyslexia, (b) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, (c) dyspraxia and (d) autism spectrum disorders.

Anne Milton: The Department assess the nutrient intake of the United Kingdom population using data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS). Salt intake has also been assessed in stand alone surveys.
	The most recent data on the intakes of salt, trans fatty acids, non-milk extrinsic sugars (NMES) and saturated fats are given in the following table.
	
		
			 Age (years) Trans fat (% of food energy)(1) Non-milk extrinsic sugars (% of food energy)(1) Saturated fat . intake (% of food energy)(1) Salt (grams per day)(2) 
			 4 to 10 0.8 14.4 13.4 — 
			 11 to 18 0.7 15.7 12.6 — 
			 19 to 64 0.8 12.6 12.8 8.6 
			 (1) Data National Diet and Nutrition Survey: Headline results from years 1 and 2 (combined) of the Rolling Programme (2008-09 to 2009-10) (2) Data from NatCen MRC (2008). 
		
	
	The NDNS reports intakes of trans fats, rather than “hydrogenated fats”. This includes trans fatty acids from all sources, including those occurring naturally in products from ruminant animals (such as milk) and artificially by hydrogenation of fats.
	The NDNS reports intakes of sugars as NMES rather than refined sugar. NMES includes table sugar and the sugars found in honey and fruit juice.
	The Department's advice on saturated fats and NMES are based on recommendations from the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA)(1,2). The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), who replaced COMA, has provided independent scientific advice to the Department on salt(3) and trans fatty acids(4) in relation to health. SACN is currently reviewing the evidence on carbohydrates and health, which includes evidence on sugar.
	The Department has no plans to specifically assess the 2002 recommendations of the United States Food and Health Board on trans fatty acids. The SACN advice on trans fatty acids was based on an assessment of the available scientific evidence published in peer reviewed journals up to 2007.
	The Department has not examined the effect of salt, hydrogenated fat (or trans fatty acids), highly unsaturated fats, refined sugar or saturated fats on psychological well-being, schizophrenia, depression, dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyspraxia and other autism spectrum disorders or the addictive qualities of high fat and high sugar diets.
	(1) Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy (1991) Dietary Reference Values for Food Energy and Nutrients for the United Kingdom, HMSO.
	(2) Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy (1994) Nutritional Aspects of Cardiovascular Disease, HMSO.
	(3) Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition Salt and health (2003) London, The Stationery Office.
	(4) Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition Update on trans fatty acids and health (2007) London, The Stationery Office.

Nutrition

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the proportion of (a) children and (b) adults who have sufficient daily intake of zinc.

Anne Milton: The Department collects information on intakes of nutrients, including zinc, through the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS). Average daily intakes of zinc in different population groups are compared with reference values including the Lower Reference Nutrient Intake (LRNI), which is the amount of a specific nutrient that is sufficient for only a few individuals with low needs. Habitual intakes below this level are almost certainly inadequate for most individuals.
	The proportion of different age groups with average daily intakes of zinc below the LRNI is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Age Proportion of the population with mean daily intake of zinc (from food sources only) below LRNI (%) 
			 4 to 10 years 7 
			 11 to 18 years 15 
			 19 to 64 years, Men 8 
			 19 to 64 years, Women 3 
			 Note: These data are taken from the most recent report of the NDNS: Bates, B., Lennox, A., & Swan, G. (Eds.). (2011). National Diet and Nutrition Survey: Headline results from years 1 & 2 (combined) of the Rolling Programme (2008-09 to 2009-10) [Online]. These data suggest that the majority of the population has a sufficient daily intake of zinc.

Nutrition

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the potential effects of the consumption of trans fats on structural fats in the central nervous system of foetuses, babies and infants; and whether his Department recommends a tolerable upper intake of trans fats for these groups.

Anne Milton: The Department has not commissioned any research to investigate the potential effects of the consumption of trans fats on structural fats in the central nervous system of foetuses, babies and infants.
	The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) reviewed the evidence of the health effects of trans fats in 2007. This included a review of the evidence of the effect of trans fats on early development. SACN concluded that while there is evidence that trans fats from the maternal diet accumulate, in fetal and infant tissue via placental transport or consumption of breast milk, there is limited and contradictory information as to effects on the health of the child.
	The Department recommends that average trans fat intakes should not exceed 2% of energy from food.

Nutrition

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to introduce nutritional science modules into the curriculum for medical students.

Anne Milton: The content and standard of medical education is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC) as the independent regulatory body.
	Through its role as the custodian of quality standards in education and practice, the GMC is committed to ensuring high quality patient care delivered by high, quality health professionals and that healthcare professionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to deal with the problems and conditions they will encounter in practice.

Nutrition

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nutritional therapists are employed in the NHS.

Anne Milton: The number of nutritional therapists employed in the national health service is not collected centrally. However, the annual NHS workforce census shows that at 30 September 2011 there were 3,610 full-time equivalent (FTE) dieticians working in the NHS in England. There has been an increase of 1,355 FTE dieticians (60%) since 2001.

Obesity

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS spent on treating obesity-related conditions in each of the last five years; and how much it expects to spend in the next five years.

Anne Milton: The Department does not hold information on how much the NHS has spent on treating obesity-related conditions in the last five years, or on projected spend in the next five years.
	The Foresight team which is part of the Government Office for Science, published “Tackling Obesities: Future Choices” in 2007. The Foresight team estimated the cost of obesity and overweight to the national health service (in terms of the cost of treating the conditions and diseases attributable to overweight and obesity) to be £4.2 billion in 2007; more recent research suggest that this could be as high as £5.1 billion.

Older People: Day Centres

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many publicly-funded elderly day care centres there were in each of the last five years.

Paul Burstow: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Out of Area Treatment: Wales

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients registered at an address in Wales received treatment at a hospital in England in each month since May 2010.

Simon Burns: The following tables show the number of finished admission episodes (inpatients), outpatient attendances (outpatient) and Accident and Emergency (A&E) attendances for patients identified as resident in Wales Strategic Health Authority.
	
		
			  In-patient finished admission episodes (FAEs) Out-patient attendances A&E attendances 
			  Wales Total Wales Total Wales Total 
			 May 2010 4,808 1,214,441 20,253 5,589,873 4,041 1,443,785 
			 June 2010 5,027 1,267,020 22,325 6,187,189 4,078 1,397,321 
			 July 2010 4,974 1,271,826 21,915 6,024,397 4,342 1,442,289 
			 August 2010 4,781 1,207,305 20,541 5,586,435 4,468 1,345,139 
			 September 2010 4,800 1,265,420 22,525 6,132,641 3,813 1,346,328 
			 October 2010 4,651 1,260,699 21,031 5,815,430 3,764 1,356,486 
			 November 2010 4,877 1,288,492 22,704 6,266,164 3,358 1,285,427 
			 December 2010 4,160 1,185,182 17,456 4,978,292 3,518 1,322,514 
			 January 2011 4,228 1,223,968 21,013 5,870,157 3,118 1,311,577 
			 February 2011 4,329 1,173,697 20,690 5,675,057 3,098 1,212,860 
			 March 2011 5,033 1,334,848 24,419 6,514,378 3,513 1,420,207 
			 April 2011 4,333 1,143,829 19,143 5,245,498 4,103 1,452,786 
			 May 2011 4,803 1,236,016 21,930 6,021,551 4,124 1,495,912 
			 June 2011 4,875 1,270,039 23,416 6,327,896 4,092 1,427,753 
			 July 2011 4,630 1,243,368 21,899 5,853,529 4,289 1,493,887 
			 August 2011 4,828 1,239,111 22,791 5,990,906 4,746 1,413,804 
			 September 2011 4,895 1,256,844 23,235 6,228,323 3,914 1,440,447 
			 October 2011 4,728 1,255,873 22,423 6,046,456 4,113 1,494,034 
			 November 2011 4,880 1,290,444 24,122 6,499,683 3,546 1,401,244 
			 December 2011 4,667 1,206,888 20,123 5,387,921 3,798 1,389,247 
			 January 2012 4,764 1,281,100 23,836 6,384,001 3,352 1,410,554 
			 February 2012 4,709 1,244,131 22,879 6,085,981 3,532 1,380,494 
			 Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) 
		
	
	It should be noted that for each of these measures, the number does not necessarily equate to the number of patients as it is possible for an individual to have more than one admission or attendance within the period.
	The data from April 2011 is provisional and may be incomplete or contain errors for which no adjustments have yet been made. Counts produced from provisional data are likely to be lower than those generated for the same period in the final dataset. This shortfall will be most pronounced in the final month of the latest period. It is also probable that clinical data are not complete, which may in particular affect the last two months of any given period. There may also be errors due to coding inconsistencies that have not yet been investigated and corrected.

Palliative Care

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to improve end-of-life care.

Paul Burstow: The Government remains committed to improving choice and quality in end of life and palliative care and we continue to work to implement the Department's End of Life Care Strategy. Important initiatives we are undertaking include: the national survey of bereaved relatives; the roll-out of Electronic Palliative Care Co-ordination Systems; the work on Palliative Care Funding; support for the Dying Matters Coalition; the introduction of a £60 million capital scheme for hospices; and implementation of the End of Life Care for Adults Quality Standard developed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Palliative Care

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on requiring patients to routinely be asked about their wishes for end-of-life care including provision of antibiotics, intubation and intravenous feeding.

Paul Burstow: The Department's End of Life Care Strategy clearly states the importance of establishing people's preferences and wishes about their end of life care. It advocates the process of care planning, including advance care planning, as a mechanism for doing this. Advance care planning aims to clarify a person's wishes in the event of a future, anticipated deterioration in their condition, with attendant loss of capacity to make decisions and/or ability to communicate wishes to others. An outcome of an advance care plan may be the completion of a specific action, such as an advance decision to refuse treatment as set out in the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
	The End of Life Care Strategy has been responsible for several initiatives which support advance care planning. These include the development and roll-out of Electronic Palliative Care Co-ordination Systems, which capture key information about people's care and their expressed preferences and make these instantly accessible to relevant staff, and the development of e-learning modules, which include advance care planning and are free to access for health and social care staff.

Pancreatic Cancer

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funds his Department will make available to further research into pancreatic cancer in the next three years.

Paul Burstow: The Department is fully committed to clinical and applied research into treatment and cures for cancer.
	Expenditure in the next three years on research in pancreatic cancer will depend on the volume and quality of scientific activity. The usual practice of the Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics: research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including pancreatic cancer. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals made.
	The United Kingdom has the highest national per capita rate of cancer trial participation in the world. The NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) is currently hosting 16 trials and other well-designed studies in pancreatic cancer that are recruiting patients. Details can be found on the UK CRN portfolio database at:
	http://public.ukcrn.org.uk/search
	In August 2011, the Government announced £800 million investment over five years in a series of NIHR biomedical research centres and units. This includes £61.5 million funding for the Royal Marsden/Institute of Cancer Research Biomedical Research Centre, and £6.5 million funding for the Liverpool biomedical research unit in gastrointestinal disease (which has a major focus on pancreatic cancer).

Pay

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to introduce regional pay since 20 March 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: No steps have been taken by the Department to introduce regional pay for its staff since 20 March 2012. The Department is currently drawing up a three-year reward strategy to consider the introduction of local pay which is expected to be completed by July 2012.

Postnatal Depression

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on research into (a) postnatal depression and (b) postnatal stress and anxiety in each of the last five years.

Paul Burstow: Expenditure by the Department through research programmes, research centres and units, and research training awards on research on postnatal depression, stress and anxiety is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2007-08 0.4 
			 2008-09 0.2 
			 2009-10 0.2 
			 2010-11 0.2 
			 2011-12 0.5 
		
	
	Expenditure by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) on research on these topics cannot be disaggregated from total CRN expenditure.
	Prior to the establishment of the NIHR in April 2006, the main part of the Department's total health research expenditure was devolved to and managed by national health service organisations. From April 2006 to March 2009, transitional research funding was allocated to these organisations at reducing levels. The organisations have accounted for their use of the allocations they have received from the Department in an annual research and development report. The reports identify total, aggregated expenditure on some disease areas, but do not provide details of spend on research on the topics covered in this reply.

Prescription Drugs

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish the consultation on an Early Access to Medicines Scheme as announced in the UK Life Sciences Strategy.

Simon Burns: The consultation on an Early Access Scheme will be published shortly.

Prescription Drugs

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which hospitals have made representations to his Department on prescription drug shortages since January 2012.

Simon Burns: The hospitals from which representations were received from 1 January to 11 June 2012, where the primary question related to a medicines supply issue are shown in the following list. There has been more than one representation from some of these hospitals. These figures are approximate, representing minimum figures received by the Department, and form part of the routine work that the Department undertakes on mitigating and resolving shortages related to manufacturing issues.
	Hospital
	Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
	Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
	South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
	London specialist pharmacy services
	University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Foundation Trust
	Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust
	Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
	Medway NHS Foundation Trust
	University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
	University Hospital of North Tees NHS Foundation Trust
	Pro-Cure NHS Collaborative Procurement Hub
	Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
	Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust
	Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust
	University College London Hospitals NHD Foundation Trust
	Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Procurement

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total (a) number and (b) value of contracts issued by (i) his Department and (ii) bodies for which he is responsible which were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: The Department provides monthly reports about procurement expenditure with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to the Cabinet Office. For April 2012, the total procurement expenditure reported by the Department, excluding Connecting for Health, with SMEs was £2,654,261. The number and total value of contracts issued by the Department awarded to SMEs relating to this spend information is not available. To provide that information would incur a disproportionate cost.
	To provide the same information on spend, the number and total value of contracts with SMEs by Connecting for Health would incur a disproportionate cost due to the nature of their information technology.
	The total procurement expenditure reported to the Cabinet Office with SMEs in April 2012 by the National Health Service Business Services Authority, Monitor and the Human Tissue Authority was £280,353. To provide the same information on SME spend with the Department's other arm's length bodies and its agency would incur a disproportionate cost due to the nature of their information technology.

Recruitment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2012, Official Report, column 489W, on recruitment, to what extent his Department and its non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies used name-blank CVs or the blind sift function on the Civil Service Resourcing e-recruitment system to recruit staff in the last year.

Simon Burns: The Department and its non-departmental public bodies together with its executive agency (the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) do not recruit staff (of any grade) using name-blank curricula vitae or the blind sift function as methods of recruitment on the Civil Service Resourcing e-recruitment system.

Respiratory System: Screening

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which hospitals have qualified personnel to carry out a specific bronchial challenge test.

Paul Burstow: The information requested is not collected centrally. In addition, the methods used to diagnose asthma are a matter for local clinical discretion.

Sexually Transmitted Infections: Young People

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people under the age of 18 years in each (a) socio-economic, (b) ethnic and (c) gender group were treated for sexually transmitted diseases in each of the last 10 years.

Anne Milton: The data collected by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) on all acute sexually transmitted infections (STIs) by socio-economic deprivation, ethnicity and gender group are only available since 2009. Data are provided on STI diagnoses in those aged 13 to 17 inclusive. The data refer to the number of diagnosed infections as data on treatment are not collected.
	The information is provided in tables 1, 2 and 3 as follows:
	Table 1 contains the number and rates of acute STI diagnoses by deprivation index;
	Table 2 contains the number of acute STI diagnoses by ethnic group. It is not possible to provide rates by ethnic group and age; and
	Table 3 contains acute STI diagnoses and rates by gender.
	All tables include data from genito-urinary medicine clinics. Chlamydia diagnoses made in community settings are included in Table 3 only as data by ethnicity and area of residence are not collected in all community settings reporting Chlamydia data.
	Acute STIs include the following diagnoses: Chlamydia (complicated and uncomplicated), Gonorrhoea (complicated and uncomplicated), Syphilis (primary, secondary and early latent), Genital Herpes simplex (first episode), Genital Warts (first episode), Non-specific genital infection/urethritis, Chancroid, Lymphogranuloma venerum (LGV), Donovanosis, Molluscum contagiosum, Trichomoniasis, Scabies, Pediculus pubis.
	
		
			 Table 1: The number and rate of acute STIs diagnosed in 13 to 17-year-olds by deprivation quintile using the Index of Multiple Deprivation, England: 2009-11 
			  Number of acute STI diagnoses Rates per 100,000 population (aged 13-17 years) 
			 Deprivation quintile 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 
			 Most deprived 5,825 5,860 5,973 880.7 886.0 903.1 
			 2nd most deprived 4,635 4,210 4,389 767.0 696.6 726.3 
			 3rd most deprived 3,336 3,073 3,099 557.2 513.3 517.6 
			 4th most deprived 2,638 2,554 2,625 428.6 414.9 426.5 
			 Least deprived 2,098 . 1,995 2,116 309.7 294.5 312.4 
			 Notes: 1. Data are sourced from the Genitourinary Medicine Clinic Activity Dataset (GUMCAD) and are collected from all GUM clinics in England. 2. GUMCAD does not collect data on the socio-economic status of individuals. Data on the area of residence of patients attending GUM clinics are collected and these were used to assign each patient to a Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) in England. Deprivation was measured, using the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) for each in England. All LSOAs were ranked according to the IMD score and assigned to quintiles (IMD group 1—least deprived; IMD group 5—most deprived). 3. LSOA data were not known for 2,567 cases in 2009, 939 cases in 2010 and 686 cases in 2010 and so are excluded from the table. 4. The data available from the GUMCAD returns are the number of diagnoses made, not the number of patients diagnosed. 5. Rates per 100,000 population aged 13 to 17 years have been calculated using mid-2009 ONS population estimates. Source: Health Protection Agency, GUMCAD returns: Date of data: 12 June 2012 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: The number of acute STIs diagnosed in 13 to 17-year olds by ethnic group, England: 2009-11 
			 Number of acute STI diagnoses 
			 Ethnic group 2009 2010 2011 
			 White 16,295 14,372 14,512 
			 Black or Black British 1,759 1736 1,752 
			 Asian or Asian British 262 232 234 
			 Mixed 1,139 1,036 1,037 
			 Other ethnic groups 195 197 224 
			 Unknown 1,449 1,058 1,129 
			 Total 21,099 18,631 18,888 
			 Notes: 1. Data are sourced from the Genitourinary Medicine Clinic Activity Dataset (GUMCAD). 2. The data available from the GUMCAD returns are the number of diagnoses made, not the number of patients diagnosed. 3. Ethnicity was patient-defined and classified into standardised national health service categories. 4. Rates per 100,000 population have not been calculated as age-specific ONS population estimates by ethnicity are not available. Source: Health Protection Agency, GUMCAD returns: Date of data: 12 June 2012 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: The number and rates of acute STIs diagnosed in 13 to 17-year-olds by gender, England: 2009-11 
			  Number of acute STI diagnoses Rates per 100,000 population 
			 Gender 2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2011 
			 Male 8,225 8,034 7,394 306.8 272.8 277.8 
			 Female 30,177 28,813 26,393 1,048.7 940.2 951.8 
			 Unknown 13 2 3 — — — 
		
	
	
		
			 Total 38,415 36,849 33,790 668.2 597.6 605.9 
			 Notes: 1. Data are sourced from the Genitourinary Medicine Clinic Activity Dataset (GUMCAD), National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) and non-GUM, non-NCSP returns. 2. The data available are the number of diagnoses made, not the number of patients diagnosed. 3. The NCSP offers opportunistic Chlamydia screening targeting those aged 15 to 24 years attending a variety of non-GUM clinic settings. Some 13 and 14-year-olds may be screened and diagnoses in this age group are also included in the table. 4. Rates per 100,000 population aged 13 to 17 years have been calculated using mid-2009 and mid-2010 ONS population estimates. Source: Health Protection Agency, GUMCAD returns, NCSP returns and non-GUM, non-NCSP returns: Date of data: 12 June 2012

Social Services

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost has been to date of the Productive Community Services project (a) in the Brighton and Hove area, (b) in Sussex and (c) nationally; what the projected future cost in each such category is; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: £1.4 million has been invested to-date in developing and implementing the Productive Community Series programme within the English national health service. Of this.£50,000 relates to supporting 175 teams of staff in Sussex. There is no separately identifiable amount to Brighton and Hove. A further £55,000 investment is planned to support the programme nationally.

Strokes

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people his Department estimates to have had a stroke (a) nationally and (b) in South Swindon constituency in the last year.

Simon Burns: This information is not collected centrally. However, the following table provides information on the number of finished admission episodes where the primary diagnosis was stroke during 2010-11. It is possible for an individual to have more than one admission to hospital with a stroke within any given year and so the information given in the table is not a count of the number of people who have had a stroke.
	Count of finished admission episodes (FAEs)(1) with a primary diagnosis of ‘stroke'(2) for England and where the patient parliamentary constituency of residence(3) is E22—South Swindon—2010-11.
	(1)Finished admission episodes
	A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
	(2)( )Primary diagnosis
	The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the hospital episode statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital.
	ICD—10 Codes
	160—Subarachnoid haemorrhage
	161—Intracerebral haemorrhage
	162—Other nontraumatic intracranial haemorrhage
	163—Cerebral infarction
	164—Stroke, not specified as haemorrhage or infarction
	(3)( )Parliamentary constituency of residence
	The parliamentary constituency containing the patient's normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to. another area or region for treatment.
	Data quality
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.
	
		
			 Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			 Geographic area Count of FAEs 
			 England 94,700 
			 E22-South Swindon 218 
			 Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre

Strokes

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the average age of people who have had a stroke in each of the last 10 years.

Simon Burns: This information is not collected centrally. However, the following table provides information on the mean age of people admitted to hospital with a primary diagnosis of stroke. Not all records include the patient's age and, where this is the case, the record has not been included in the calculation of the mean age.
	
		
			 Average age of the patient at the start of the episode for finished admission episodes (FAEs)(1) with a primary diagnosis of 'stroke'(2) for England 
			 Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			  Average age 
			 2001-02 73.2 
			 2002-03 73.2 
			 2003-04 73.2 
			 2004-05 72.9 
			 2005-06 73.2 
			 2006-07 73.1 
			 2007-08 73.1 
			 2008-09 73.2 
			 2009-10 73.2 
			 2010-11 73.2 
			 (1)Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. (2)Primary diagnosis The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. ICD—10 Codes 160—Subarachnoid haemorrhage 161—Intracerebral haemorrhage 162—Other nontraumatic intracranial haemorrhage 163—Cerebral infarction 164—Stroke, not specified as haemorrhage or infarction Data quality: HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre

Thalidomide

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will meet the National Advisory Council to the Thalidomide Trust to discuss years two and three of the Government's pilot financial support scheme for Thalidomide survivors.

Paul Burstow: I met with the chief executive of the Thalidomide Trust and members of the National Advisory Council on 12 June 2012 and aim to meet them again in the autumn.
	Departmental officials are also due to meet members of the National Advisory Council and the Thalidomide Trust in July of this year to discuss the evaluation report for year two of the grant.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Biofuels

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will introduce national social sustainability criteria for the production and imports of (a) biofuels and (b) other bioenergy.

Gregory Barker: The sustainability criteria that apply to support schemes for electricity generated from bioliquids and transport biofuels are set under the renewable energy directive; the UK cannot deviate from these. The European Commission is required to report every two years, starting in 2012, on the social impacts of the increased demand for biofuels and if appropriate propose corrective action.
	The Government introduced sustainability criteria for liquid biomass feedstocks under the renewables obligation (RO) in April 2011. These criteria include a greenhouse gas lifecycle assessment and restrictions to protect land with high biodiversity or carbon sink value.
	The Government also introduced requirements for solid and gaseous biomass feedstocks under the RO to report against sustainability criteria relating to greenhouse gas emissions and the land used to produce the biomass. The sustainability criteria apply to imported and domestically produced feedstocks. There are exceptions from the criteria for some types of biomass such as wastes.
	We intend to expand our sustainability criteria for solid biomass with the addition of sustainable forest management criteria to the RO and expect our proposals will build on existing global and national sustainable forestry standards which include some requirements on social issues. We also intend to link payments under the RO to meeting these criteria from April 13. We will be consulting on these proposals shortly.

Biofuels

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the proportion of proposed power plants in the UK planning to use bioliquids for electricity generation that will use bioliquids derived from (a) wastes or residues and (b) virgin vegetable oil, including (i) palm oil and (ii) jatropha.

Gregory Barker: DECC's renewable energy planning database (REPD)(1) tracks the progress of renewable electricity projects from inception, through planning, construction and operational phases and is updated on a monthly basis. The REPD does not collect data on feedstock types.
	The latest available REPD data (April 2012) show that dedicated bioliquid plants represent less than 1% of the total renewable electricity installed capacity that has been granted planning consent and is awaiting construction.
	DECC has also assessed the deployment potential of plants using bioliquids to generate renewable electricity as part of the current renewables obligation banding review. The Government response to the recent consultation on proposed subsidy levels will be published shortly along with a final impact assessment.
	(1) https://restats.decc.gov.uk/cms/planning-database

Carbon Emissions

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to ensure low carbon generation projects which need to make final investment decisions before legislation relating to the Contract for Difference mechanism comes into force are provided with information about the strike prices that these projects will receive.

Charles Hendry: Under the Final Investment Decision Enabling Project set out in the Technical Update on Electricity Market Reform published in December 2011, the Government may provide information on strike prices for low carbon generation projects that need to make final investment decisions before legislation implementing EMR takes effect. There will be full transparency over the terms agreed for any investment instruments or contracts for difference that are issued.

Combined Heat and Power

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will review the principle of mandatory connection in order to encourage the use of combined heat and power and district heating schemes.

Gregory Barker: We are exploring ways to promote the development of low carbon combined heat and power and district heating as part of our ongoing heat strategy work to decarbonise heating in the UK.
	We are currently involved in EU negotiations of the draft energy efficiency directive.
	The directive includes provisions exploring opportunities for connection of CHP and district heating where cost-effective.

Coryton Oil Refinery

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what his policy is on the provision of state aid to maintain operations at the Coryton Oil Refinery;
	(2)  whether his Department has sought legal advice on the possible provision of state aid to Coryton Oil Refinery.

Charles Hendry: holding answer 14 June 2012
	Working closely with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which has policy responsibility for state aid, the Department has sought legal advice on the possible provision of state aid to Coryton Oil Refinery.
	The Government do not intend to provide state aid to Coryton Oil Refinery. The case for doing so is not compelling enough: there are no strong security of supply or energy resilience arguments in favour of financial support; doing so is likely to place a significant liability on the public purse; and the Government do not believe that it would be the best way of securing a sustainable future for the site.
	Refining rationalisation is taking place across Europe, and our priority should be to restore the competitiveness of the sector rather than delaying necessary re-structuring or putting up trade barriers. We should not risk taking actions that could lead to a further worsening of the situation given the decline in regional product demand and low refining margins.

Coryton Oil Refinery

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the letter from the Minister of State for Energy of 11 June 2012, on Coryton Refinery, whether his Department has had any (a) correspondence, (b) meetings or (c) discussions with the French government in respect of assistance provided to the Petit Couronne Refinery.

Charles Hendry: The British embassy in Paris, on behalf of the Department, has exchanged correspondence with the French Government about the assistance provided to the Petit Couronne Refinery.

Coryton Oil Refinery

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the letter from the Minister of State for Energy of 11 June 2012, on Coryton Refinery, 
	(1)  for what reason his Department has concluded that public money could not be used to keep the refinery open;
	(2)  whether his Department has had any (a) correspondence, (b) meetings or (c) discussions with the European Commission in respect of the possible provision of state aid to the Coryton Refinery; and what (i) form and (ii) date any such communication took;
	(3)  with which other Government Departments his Department has discussed the possible provision of state aid.

Charles Hendry: The Department, working closely with Departments across Government, concluded that because of existing overcapacity in the refining industry and declining demand for petrol it would not be sustainable for government to provide assistance to the Coryton Oil Refinery.
	As set out in the answer I gave to the right hon. Member on 14 June 2012, Official Report, columns 563-64W, the Department has concluded that there are no significant risks to security of fuel supply or energy resilience of the Coryton Oil Refinery closing, which further reduces, the case for Government intervention.
	The Government would only approach the European Commission if it decided to provide state aid to the refinery.

Electricity Generation

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what guidance his Department provides to Ofgem on appraising the environmental impacts of overground electricity transmission scheme proposals.

Charles Hendry: It is for the Planning Act 2008 regime, rather than Ofgem, to appraise such environmental impacts for obtaining planning consent for overground electricity transmission schemes. Ofgem's role is to consider the case for investment proposals. The Government's guidance on appraisal for planning consent in England and Wales is set out in the National Policy Statements (EN-1(1) and EN-5(2)). The Scottish Government is responsible for such guidance in Scotland. Ofgem has set a regulatory framework, so that transmission owner companies can take full account of environmental impacts of new transmission infrastructure consistent with the relevant planning requirements.
	(1) Department for Energy and Climate Change : Overarching National Policy Statement for Energy: July 2011
	(2) Department for Energy and Climate Change: National Policy Statement for Electricity Networks Infrastructure : July 2011

Energy Supply

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  if he will publish correspondence between his Department and the European Commission on the application of state aid rules to the Contracts for Difference in the draft Energy Bill;
	(2)  when he last discussed state aid rules with the European Commission in relation to Contracts for Difference in the draft Energy Bill.

Charles Hendry: Subject to parliamentary approval, the Government will ensure that the provisions of the draft Energy Bill are applied in a way that is consistent with the state aid rules.
	State aid issues are a bilateral matter between the Government and the European Commission. The Government is in discussion with the Commission as to the application of the state aid rules in this context. In common with other similar situations, such discussions cover whether or not state aid may be present, and if there is state aid, whether it is approvable under the treaty.
	If the Government makes a formal notification of its arrangements, we expect the Commission to make a decision as soon as possible consistent with the proper exercise of its responsibilities. Such Commission decisions are published and include an explanation of how the decision has been reached.

Energy Supply

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects a decision to be made by the European Commission on state aid rules in relation to the Contracts for Difference in the draft Energy Bill.

Charles Hendry: The Government will ensure that the provisions of the draft Energy Bill are applied in a way that is consistent with the state aid rules.
	State aid issues are a bilateral matter between the Government and the European Commission. The Government is in discussion with the Commission as to the application of the state aid rules in this context. In common with other similar situations, such discussions cover whether or not state aid may be present, and if there is state aid, whether it is approvable under the treaty.
	If the Government makes a formal notification of its arrangements, we expect the Commission to make a decision as soon as possible consistent with the proper exercise of its responsibilities. Such Commission decisions are published and include an explanation of how the decision has been reached.

Energy Supply

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to page 14, Annex A, of the Draft Energy Bill, whether he plans to publish the budget envelope for the delivery of EMR under the Levy Control Framework.

Charles Hendry: If the Electricity Market Reform policies fall within the scope of the Levy Control Framework, the budget envelope will be set and published at the next spending review.

Energy Supply

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  if he will make it his policy to seek a firm commitment from Energy Company Obligation suppliers that they will use his proposed brokerage facility to direct a defined and significant percentage of their obligation towards smaller suppliers;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy to seek a firm commitment from Energy Company Obligation suppliers that they will use his proposed brokerage facility for a defined and significant percentage of their obligation.

Gregory Barker: We are committed to the development of a competitive energy efficiency market.
	Our intention is to have in place by October 2012 a brokerage system that will facilitate the access of a diverse range of delivery partners to ECO subsidy.
	We will seek a firm commitment from obligated energy suppliers to put a significant proportion of their ECO funding through brokerage.
	We will also consult in late summer to establish whether regulatory intervention is required to enforce the use of the brokerage platform by obligated parties and if so at what percentage.

Energy: Conservation

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer of 19 April 2012, Official Report, column 484W, on energy, what the outcomes were of his officials’ meeting with representatives from a number of companies supplying voltage optimisation devices to explore more fully the potential for a national roll-out of voltage optimisation devices.

Gregory Barker: DECC held a productive meeting with representatives from the voltage optimisation and management industry, as reported in the paper on qualifying energy improvements published as part of the Government’s Green Deal consultation response on 11 June 2012.
	Technical discussions are still ongoing, and are focused on quantifying the energy saving potential of voltage optimisation for use in the Green Deal assessment tools.

Energy: Prices

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with Ofgem on his proposals that all gas and electricity bills should display prominently how much customers could save by switching to that supplier's cheapest tariff.

Gregory Barker: DECC Ministers meet with Ofgem officials on a regular basis to discuss energy issues, including issues relating to energy consumers.
	It is for Ofgem, as the independent regulator of the gas and electricity markets, to consider requirements relating to the information that is provided on energy bills. DECC Ministers and officials support the fullest consideration by Ofgem of various recommendations regarding the content of energy bills, including those put forward by the Billing Stakeholder Group, as part of the work Ofgem are doing to improve energy bills as part of their Retail Market Review.

Energy: Prices

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that energy tariffs are clear and comparable with each other.

Charles Hendry: Ofgem, the independent regulator of the gas and electricity markets, has consulted on proposals to simplify energy tariffs so that consumers can compare tariffs more easily. Ofgem is considering consultation responses and plans to bring forward further proposals before winter.

Energy: Prices

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the electricity market reform impact assessment, whether his Department plans to provide letters of comfort, or any other reassurances, to those low carbon generation projects which will make final investment decisions before legislation providing for the Contract for Difference mechanism is brought into force; and what the letters of comfort will contain.

Charles Hendry: The electricity market reform White Paper of July 2011 set out the Government's commitment to work actively with developers of low carbon electricity generation projects to enable early investment decisions to progress to timetable wherever possible, including those required ahead of implementation of the feed-in tariff with Contracts for Difference (CfD).
	The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), has a number of options for giving comfort to developers of relevant projects, as set out in the summary impact assessment for the draft Energy Bill. One of these options is to provide non-binding letters of comfort offering assurance to developers covering, for example, eligibility, strike price banding, high-level risk allocation, and wider Government action to support investments. Another option is for the Secretary of State to use the provisions set out in the draft Energy Bill to issue investment instruments (which will be broadly similar to CfDs) on terms and conditions that he considers appropriate in advance of the implementation of CfDs. For all options, the actual form and detail of comfort that might be offered would be project specific, and would depend on the projects that come forward for the FID enabling process and the outcome of any engagement with relevant investors and developers.

Fuel Poverty

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to tackle fuel poverty following the closure of the Warm Front scheme.

Gregory Barker: In future, the new Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (ECO) will be our flagship policy for improving the energy efficiency of the nation's housing stock. Due to launch in October 2012, ECO will run alongside the Green Deal and will have twin objectives to help reduce carbon emission and tackle fuel poverty. ECO requires energy suppliers to help households access more expensive insulation measures such as solid wall and hard to treat cavity wall insulation through the Green Deal and to provide measures to low income and vulnerable households to help reduce the costs of staying warm and healthy. Through ECO around £540 million will be spent annually by suppliers to assist low income households and low income areas.
	Through the Warm Home Discount scheme, worth £1.1 billion between 2011 and 2015, we expect to assist 2 million low income vulnerable households per year. This includes from 2012-13 onwards around 1 million of the poorest pensioners who will receive a Core Group discount of £130 to £140, mostly without having to claim, a significant benefit for a group which may struggle to claim.
	To ensure that resources could be focused in the most appropriate way, the Government commissioned Professor Hills to undertake an independent review of fuel poverty in March 2011. The final report from Professor Hills' review of the fuel poverty definition and target was published in March 2012. In his report, Professor Hills made it clear that accurate measurement was a prerequisite for effective policies and that the current indicator of fuel poverty has misrepresented trends and masked the impact of policy interventions. This is why we have committed the Government to the adoption of a revised approach to measuring fuel poverty, and to consulting on an alternative definition for fuel poverty in due course.

Fuel Poverty: Rural Areas

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the effect of fuel poverty on rural communities.

Gregory Barker: The table shows the number of fuel poor households in England by rural classification for the latest available year 2010 from the English Housing Survey (EHS).(1)
	(1) The definition of Rural/Urban is agreed as an official National Statistic first introduced in 2004. It defines Census Output Areas forming settlements with populations of over 10,000 as urban, while the remainder are defined as one of three rural types: town and fringe, village or hamlet 2010.
	
		
			 Rural classifications Number of households in fuel poverty (thousand) Percentage of households in fuel poverty (%) 
			 Urban 2,691 15.5 
			 Rural 846 20,2 
		
	
	DECC is working closely with DEFRA to raise awareness of fuel poverty and energy efficiency schemes in rural areas. Furthermore, the DECC business plan commits the Department to producing advice with DEFRA for households living in rural areas to improve the energy efficiency of their home and reduce their energy costs.
	Under the forthcoming Energy Company Obligations, energy suppliers will be required to deliver 15% of their Carbon Saving Community target to low income rural households.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the final Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (ECO) impact assessment, how many installations of energy efficiency measures under the Green Deal or ECO may have adverse effects on householder health.

Gregory Barker: There is a risk that poor installation of energy efficiency measures can in some circumstances lead to issues which affect householders' health, which is why we have worked with industry and other stakeholders to develop the Code of Practice and an installer authorisation regime to protect the consumer and minimise installation risks under the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation. However, it is also the case that failing to insulate homes at all, or having inefficient heating systems, can have adverse effects on health.
	The Green Deal Installer standard (PAS2030) focuses on the installation processes for Green Deal measures, the management of the processes and the quality of the service provided to the customer before, during and after the installation. All installations under the Green Deal will need to comply with this standard, and with the Code of Practice. Following consultation we are strengthening the provisions in the Code of Practice relating to certain risks associated with installations. For example, Green Deal providers will now have to ensure that ventilation requirements are taken into account during installations.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the net number of jobs that will be created as a result of the Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation.

Gregory Barker: Projections of the number of insulation sector jobs required to deliver the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation were published in the Final Impact Assessment. The total number of jobs in the insulation sector is projected to rise from around 26,000 today to between 38,000 and 60,000 by 2015. No estimate has been made of the net impact of the policies on the total number of jobs in the economy.
	The Green Deal and ECO Final Impact Assessment can be found at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/green-deal/5533-final-stage-impact-assessment-for-the-green-deal-a.pdf

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether Hinkley Point C has applied for a contract under the Contract for Difference support mechanism.

Charles Hendry: NNB Generation Company Ltd, a joint venture owned by EDF and Centrica, have approached DECC to express their interest in being part of DECC's work on enabling investment decisions for early projects for Hinkley Point C as provided for in the Technical Update on electricity market reform published by DECC on 15 December 2011.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what negotiations his Department has had with EDF on a Contract for Difference for Hinkley Point C.

Charles Hendry: The Department has entered into dialogue with NNB Generation Company Ltd regarding potential Transitional Arrangements for NNB's Hinkley Point C project on the basis set out in the Technical Update on electricity market reform published in December 2011. These discussions are at an early stage, and no offers of comfort have been made by the Department.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what indications he or officials in his Department have provided, or will provide to EDF Energy on the strike price it will receive for electricity produced at Hinkley Point C.

Charles Hendry: The Department has not provided EDF Energy or NNB Generation Company Ltd with any indications regarding the strike price that could be received for electricity produced at Hinkley Point C.
	Under the Final Investment Decision Enabling Project set out in the Technical Update on Electricity Market Reform published in December 2011, the Government may provide information on strike prices for low carbon generation projects that need to make final investment decisions before legislation implementing EMR takes effect. The terms of any investment instrument or contract for difference issued for electricity produced at Hinkley Point C will be subject to negotiation focusing on delivering a fair deal which is affordable, provides clear value for money, and is consistent with the Government's policy on no public subsidy for new nuclear. There will be full transparency over the terms agreed for any investment instruments or contracts for difference that are issued.

National Grid

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  how many full-time equivalent staff were employed by National Grid in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011;
	(2)  how many full-time equivalent staff are employed by National Grid;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of full-time equivalent staff expected to be employed by National Grid in (a) 2013, (b) 2014, (c) 2015, (d) 2016, (e) 2017 and (f) 2020.

Charles Hendry: DECC does not routinely hold information on National Grid’s staff numbers or make estimates of future staffing levels. National Grid’s annual report contains information on its staff numbers, and is available at:
	http://www.nationalgrid.com/annualreports/2012/documents/national%20grid%20ar/ng_ar_full_web.pdf

Natural Gas

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what action his Department is taking to secure liquid natural gas supplies for the UK.

Charles Hendry: The Government supports companies in securing liquid natural gas supplies by deepening links with key actual and potential supply countries, encouraging environmentally responsible gas production internationally, and maintaining a competitive UK market that is attractive to suppliers. The contracts signed recently with Norway and Qatar evidence the success of this approach and the increased Government focus on such arrangements.

Natural Gas

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what contingency plans he has put in place to deal with any shortfall of liquefied natural gas imports.

Charles Hendry: The UK has a diverse range of sources of gas supply, including domestic production, pipeline imports from Norway and the EU, liquefied natural gas from global markets, and storage. There is also demand-side flexibility. Gas shippers can draw on all these sources to ensure they meet overall demand.
	The Government has given Ofgem new powers to strengthen the incentives on shippers to meet their gas security of supply obligations. We have also asked Ofgem to report on whether there is a need for further measures to improve gas supply security.

Shale Gas

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the extent of unexploited shale gas supplies in the UK and their potential effect on gas prices.

Charles Hendry: A British Geological Survey study in 2010 estimated that if UK shales were similar to those in the USA they could yield some 150 billion cubic metres of gas, equivalent to roughly two years of UK demand. The BGS is currently undertaking a more detailed analysis, taking account of the latest information, of the extent of prospectively gas-bearing shales in the UK and the potential resources, that is, the amount of gas which might be contained in these rocks.
	However, as little drilling or testing has taken place, it is not at this stage possible to make any meaningful assessment of how much of the shale gas resource would be recoverable and how it might potentially affect gas prices.

Nuclear Power

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what invitations to tender he has announced for (a) banks, (b) accountancy firms and (c) consultancies to assist his Department in negotiation of nuclear generation contracts with EDF Energy; and what plans he has to make these negotiations transparent.

Charles Hendry: An invitation to tender for the provision of financial and accountancy advice was issued on 25 May 2012. This tender was conducted through a Government Procurement Service framework (‘Multi-Disciplinary Consultancy') that includes a mixture of accountancy firms and consultancies. An invitation to tender to undertake engineering cost verification work was issued on 21 May 2012. This tender was through the Ministry of Defence's Framework Agreement for Technical Support that includes engineering consultancies. No selection has yet been made under these tenders. No invitation to tender has yet been issued to banks.
	There will be full transparency over the terms agreed following the negotiation of nuclear generation contracts.

Nuclear Power: Emergencies

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information he has received from the Chief Nuclear Inspector on progress made in the implementation of strengthening arrangements in nuclear emergency planning identified by the Office for Nuclear Regulation following the review of nuclear emergencies by the Nuclear Emergency Planning Liaison Group in 2011.

Charles Hendry: Following the publication of Dr Mike Weightman's final report; the “Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami: Implications for the UK Nuclear Industry” (October 2011), the Government responded to a number of recommendations, including arrangements for nuclear emergency planning (December 2011). This response is available publicly at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/meeting-energy-demand/nuclear/3718-gov-response-weightman-final.pdf
	In his report Dr Weightman invited Government to report back on the recommendations by June 2012. Government will be providing an update to its December response shortly, ahead of Dr Weightman's ‘one year on' progress report, due to be published in autumn 2012. This will include information on the progress made in the implementation of strengthening arrangements in nuclear emergency planning.

Offshore Industry

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the UK's oil and gas industry of Scottish independence.

Charles Hendry: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has made no specific assessment of the effect of Scottish independence on the United Kingdom's oil and gas industry.
	The UK Government's position is clear: Scotland is stronger as part of the UK and the UK is stronger with Scotland in it.
	The Government will be arguing the case for Scotland to remain within the UK and the Department of Energy and Climate Change will contribute to the debate.
	The Government is not making plans for independence as we are confident that people in Scotland will continue to support the United Kingdom in any referendum.

Ofgem: Fines

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what fines were imposed on businesses by the regulator Ofgem in each financial year from 2000-01 to 2011-12.

Charles Hendry: The information requested is a matter for Ofgem. I have asked the chief executive of Ofgem to write to the hon. Member and we will place a copy of his letter in the Libraries of the House.

Procurement

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the total (a) number and (b) value of contracts issued by (i) his Department and (ii) bodies for which he is responsible which were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Gregory Barker: Department of Energy and Climate Change’s spend with small and medium-sized entities has been reported in the Cabinet Office report, “Making Government business more accessible to SMEs—One Year On”, available at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/making-government-business-more-accessible-smes-one-year

Renewable Energy

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether regional renewable energy targets have been maintained.

Bob Neill: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.
	Regional strategies and their renewable energy targets remain in existence, although the Government's policy intention is to revoke them. We intend to do so subject to the outcome of the environmental assessments on the proposed revocations which are in train.
	The proposed revocation of the regional strategy may be regarded as a material consideration by decision makers when determining individual planning applications and appeals.

Renewable Energy: Subsidies

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what timetable he has set for the reduction of subsidies for renewable generation.

Gregory Barker: Renewable generation is currently supported through the Renewables Obligation (RO). RO bands are currently being reviewed and we expect to announce the outcomes shortly.

Renewables Obligation

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to ensure that only bioliquids used for electricity generation which are derived from waste or residues receive support under the renewables obligation.

Gregory Barker: Member states cannot impose additional sustainability criteria on bioliquids over and above those set out in the EU's renewable energy directive, when determining eligibility for financial support. This means that we cannot, on sustainability grounds, remove support under the renewables obligation for electricity generated from bioliquids that meet the sustainability criteria and only support bioliquids derived from wastes and residues.

Warm Front Scheme

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households have participated in the Warm Front scheme in (a) England and (b) Bolton North East constituency in each of the last five years.

Gregory Barker: The numbers of households assisted in (a) England and (b) Bolton North East constituency in each of the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			  Assisted Households 
			  Bolton North East England 
			 2007-08 1,253 268,900 
			 2008-09 725 233,594 
			 2009-10 713 212,963 
			 2010-11 373 127,930 
			 2011-12 91 33,058 
			 Total 3,155 876,445

Warm Front Scheme

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much of the Warm Front budget is yet to be claimed.

Gregory Barker: Warm Front remains open to new applications with a budget of £100 million in 2012-13 to provide insulation and heating measures for qualifying households—helping some of the most vulnerable households to have a warmer, healthier and more energy efficient home.
	No decision has been made on when the scheme will close to new applications.

Warm Front Scheme

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department is spending on promotion of the Warm Front scheme; and by what means the scheme will be promoted.

Gregory Barker: Marketing of Warm Front ceased in 2010-11 because the scheme was heavily oversubscribed. It was anticipated that demand would, as with previous years, exceed supply.
	The Government is committed to doing all it can to drive up demand for the scheme and continues to work closely with local authorities, charities and the energy companies to encourage pensioners and those on low incomes apply for the help to which they are entitled.
	In response to the lower than anticipated level of demand for the scheme, the Government launched the Winter Warmth Appeal in early 2012, working with a number of local authorities with high levels of fuel poverty in their area to raise awareness of the Warm Front scheme(1). Part of this campaign included 675,000 letters being sent to homes in areas with high levels of fuel poverty including Birmingham, Leeds, Bradford, County Durham and Sheffield to alert them about the Warm Front scheme. The Government also worked with the Citizens Advice Bureau, Consumer Focus, National Energy Action and energy companies to promote the scheme through their advice services.
	(1)http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn2012_005/pn2012_005.aspx

Warm Home Discount Scheme

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people were on social tariffs in each of the years from 2007-08 to 2011-12; and how many people received assistance under the Warm Home Discount Scheme in 2011-12.

Gregory Barker: Information on the number of households assisted by energy suppliers with social and discounted tariffs is available in the reports published by Ofgem on suppliers' social spending. These reports are available via the following link.
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Sustainability/SocAction/Suppliers/CSR/Pages/CSR.aspx
	The definition of a social tariff changed during 2007-08 and 2010-11. Therefore the following figures reference the number of households assisted with both social and discounted tariffs, in line with Ofgem's method of reporting. The information published by Ofgem shows that in 2007-08 around 800,000 customer accounts were benefiting from social and discounted tariffs and from 2008-09 to 2010-11 around 1 million customer accounts benefited each year from social and discounted tariffs.
	Under the new Warm Home Discount scheme which began in 2011-12 energy suppliers are required to report on their spending under the Warm Home Discount scheme to Ofgem at the end each scheme year. Once this information has been verified and audited, Ofgem will produce a report which will detail the number of customers assisted with social and discounted tariffs under the legacy spending element of the Warm Home Discount scheme.

Warm Home Discount Scheme

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people who were on social tariffs in 2010-11 did not receive support under the Warm Home Discount Scheme in 2011-12.

Gregory Barker: Energy suppliers are required to report on their spending under the Warm Home Discount scheme to Ofgem at the end each scheme year. Once this information has been verified and audited, Ofgem will produce a report which will detail the number of customers assisted with social and discounted tariffs under the legacy spending element of the Warm Home Discount scheme.
	The structure of the Warm Home Discount scheme in 2011-12 allowed energy suppliers to continue to provide the same type of support to consumers at a similar level of spending to that in 2010-11, the final year of the previous voluntary scheme. Where energy suppliers have chosen to spend less in 2011-12 on legacy forms of support, including social and discounted tariffs, they are required to increase their spending on providing rebates to the Broader Group at a level set by Government. In 2011-12 this was £120.

Wind Power

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on the contribution onshore wind should make to the mix of renewable energy.

Charles Hendry: The Government are committed to an appropriate level of onshore wind deployment as one part of a balanced energy mix to maintain our energy security, to help decarbonise our electricity supply and to keep consumer bills at a minimum. This is set out in the Renewable Energy Roadmap published last summer, which includes a projected central scenario of up to 13GW total installed capacity of onshore wind by 2020.
	We consider this ambition is manageable. 5GW is already up and running, nearly 6GW has received planning consent and there is a further 7GW in the planning system. Not everything consented will be built, and not everything in the planning system deserves to be consented, so there will be new project proposals to come, but the investment the country needs in this technology is already largely on the table.

Wind Power

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether the acoustics consultants used by his Department advise wind farm developers.

Charles Hendry: We are aware that some organisations used recently by DECC to provide onshore wind acoustic advice have carried out noise assessment work for a range of clients, including both wind farm developers and local government planning departments.
	DECC arranges peer review of acoustic advice by a range of internal and external experts, including a formal assessment currently being undertaken by the Institute of Acoustics.

Wind Power

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he has given to the suggestion that wind turbine noise guidelines should be the responsibility of a different Government department.

Charles Hendry: Officials across Government work closely together on wind turbine noise issues. For example, officials from DEFRA, DCLG, the Department of Health and the devolved Administrations are represented on the Government Group which provides advice on the development by the Institute of Acoustics of good practice guidance on ETSU-R—97. There is no case for machinery of government changes on this issue.

Wind Power

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department monitors wind farm noise complaints made after construction; and what plans it has to test observed sound at receptors against the modelled values established in the developer's environmental impact assessments.

Charles Hendry: DECC does not routinely monitor wind farm noise complaints. Reported noise complaints are investigated by local authorities who have a duty to manage neighbourhood noise and nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
	Compliance with conditions relating to wind turbine noise form part of the deemed planning permission, and are enforced by the local planning authority (LPA). Some LPAs have set planning conditions which require operational noise levels to be measured after the commissioning of a project to determine whether the wind farm is operating in accordance with its permitted noise levels.

Wind Power

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on (a) payments to landowners for allowing wind farms on their land and (b) subsidies to wind farm developers in 2011.

Charles Hendry: The support for wind turbines in 2010-11 was £660 million (£400 million for onshore wind and £260 million for offshore wind). This support came from the Renewables Obligation scheme for electricity generation, rather than direct payments to landowners or developers, which are commercial matters for wind farm developers.

Wind Power

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the effect of wind turbines on jobs in the tourism industry.

Charles Hendry: I am aware of concerns about the impact of wind turbines on the tourist industry, but overall there is no compelling evidence to date of actual negative effects on tourism. Recent research by Visit Scotland(1) has confirmed earlier research which showed that the presence of a wind farm would not affect the decisions of the vast majority of tourists about where to visit or where to stay. I am aware that Whitelee windfarm visitors centre is a tourist attraction drawing thousands of visitors.
	Windfarms can have positive impacts on jobs in the tourism industry. Wind farm projects can provide funding either directly or through community benefit funds to create or improve tourist attractions and related infrastructure. They can also have an impact on business tourism where those working on planning, construction and operation and maintenance of the wind farm make use of local accommodation and restaurant facilities. A recent report for DECC and RenewableUK by BiGGAR Economics(2) suggested that in 2011 the increase in the turnover of businesses local to onshore wind farm developments alone, where workers spend money due to being on-site and working away from home, is estimated to be around £11 million. This could support around 300 jobs in the tourism accommodation sector.
	(1) VisitScotland: Windfarm Consumer Research April 2012 found that 80% of survey respondents said that the presence of a windfarm would not affect their decision about where to stay or visit. A report by Glasgow Caledonian university/or the Scottish Government produced in 2008 showed the vast majority (93% to 99%) of tourists that had seen a windfarm in the local area suggested that the experience would not have any effect on their decision to return to that area, or to Scotland as a whole, see:
	http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2008/03/12133622
	(2) Onshore Wind: direct and Wider Economic Impacts (May 2012):
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/meeting-energy-demand/wind/5229-onshore-wind-direct--wider-economic-impacts.pdf
	The findings of the report are based on 18 case studies of experience on the ground, and set out the gross impacts of commercial onshore wind development.

Wind Power

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the standard community fund offered by wind farm developers to compensate communities affected by wind farm developments;
	(2)  what incentives there are to encourage households to accept construction of large industrial wind turbines close to their homes.

Charles Hendry: We support the introduction in 2011 by RenewableUK, the main wind trade body, of a Community Benefit Protocol. The Protocol specifies a benefit package worth a minimum of £1,000 per megawatt in England, per year of installed wind power during the lifetime of the wind farm (typically 25 years).
	The decision on how the funds will be allocated will rest with the community living in the vicinity of the wind farm. Funding to date has supported a range of projects aimed at improving local amenities and infrastructure. In other examples, developers have helped fund renewable energy apprentice schemes or redevelop local habitats.
	The Government is keen to give local communities more of a stake in windfarms, over and above the energy benefits these windfarms bring nationally. We are introducing legislation in this session to enable local authorities in England to retain business rates for the life of the windfarm. There are also programmes to support the development of community-owned windfarms. for example the £15 million Rural Community Renewable Energy Fund announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in autumn 2011. This is due to launch in spring 2013 and will be administered by DECC and DEFRA.

Wind Power

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the practice of wind farm developers visiting primary schools in areas where developments are proposed.

Charles Hendry: None. The Government believes that the planning process should include real and meaningful engagement and collaboration between developers and communities, local organisations and businesses. This ensures that local views can be considered as early as possible in the planning process and the potential for establishing local and wider benefits identified.

Wind Power

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  if he will establish a review of the ETSU97 noise guidelines to be carried out by an independent panel of experts;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the reliability of wind farm noise assessments;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of noise guidelines in respect of wind farm developments.

Charles Hendry: Government continues to support the use of the approach set out in ETSU-R-97 for wind farm noise assessments.
	In June 2011, DECC published an independent report(1) on matters arising from the consideration of noise impacts when determining wind farm applications in England. This found that current guidance (ETSU-R-97) is fit for purpose but recommended that further good practice guidance is developed to confirm, and where necessary, clarify the way it is implemented in practice in the planning process. The Institute of Acoustics is producing this additional guidance and a draft is expected to be issued for consultation in the summer.
	(1) “Analysis of How Noise Impacts are Considered in the Determination of Wind Farm Planning Applications” by Hayes McKenzie Partnership—June 2011
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/wind/onshore/comms_planning/noise/noise.aspx

Wind Power: Burton Latimer

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will visit the Burton Wold wind farm in Burton Latimer to discuss its expansion plans.

Charles Hendry: I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss this issue.

Wind Power: Carbon Emissions

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the level of carbon savings arising from wind power in (a) 2011 and (b) the most recent period for which figures are available.

Charles Hendry: Approximately 9.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide was displaced by electricity generation from wind in the UK in 2011, which is the most recent period for which the figures are available.
	This figure was calculated using the total amount of electricity generated by wind projects multiplied by an estimate of the amount of carbon dioxide emissions per GWh of electricity supplied for a combination of fossil fuels (which is based on the known fossil fuel mix for electricity generation in the UK for 2010).

Wind Power: Carbon Emissions

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will commission a scientific study to examine the effectiveness of wind turbines in mitigating emissions of carbon dioxide.

Gregory Barker: Several independent scientific studies have already been undertaken in this area. The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology(1) has recently summarised a number of peer reviewed research reports and life cycle assessments which compare the carbon footprint(2) of different UK electricity generating technologies. It reported that onshore wind power has a carbon footprint range of between 8 to 20gCO2eq/kWh with off shore wind around 9 to 13gCO2eg/kWh
	(3)
	. By comparison, the average emissions from fossil fuelled power generation in the UK was around 500gCO2/kWh. Life cycle assessments of CO2 emissions take into account not only emissions from generation of electricity but those incurred during the manufacture, construction and decommissioning phases of the plant and from sourcing of raw materials and feedstocks.
	Where wind power displaces electricity generated from fossil fuelled power generation it is therefore mitigating CO2 and my Department estimates that approximately 9.3 million tonnes of CO2 was displaced by electricity generated from wind in the UK in 2011(4).
	I therefore do not propose to commission any new research into the lifetime carbon emissions of different generating technologies but will keep under review any new literature in this area as the future UK generation mix will be critical in our move to a low carbon future.
	(1 )Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology Note (Postnote) 268 at
	http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/postpn268.pdf
	which was updated in June 2011 by Postnote 383 at:
	http://www.parliament.uk/documents/post/postpn_383-carbon-footprint-electricity-generation.pdf
	(2 )This is the total amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gases emitted over the full life cycle of generating plants. This footprint is expressed in terms of grams of CO2 equivalent per kilowatt hour of generation (gCO2eq/kWh).
	(3 )Carbon emissions relating to the manufacture and installation of wind turbines will depend on a range of factors including size and type of turbine, extraction of any raw materials and processes and energy type used to manufacture turbine components, method of transport of components to the site, and location and typography of the site.
	(4 )This figure was calculated using the total amount of electricity generated by wind projects multiplied by an estimate of the amount of carbon dioxide emissions per GWh of electricity supplied for a combination of fossil fuels (which is based on the known fossil fuel mix for electricity generation in the UK for 2010).

Wind Power: Northamptonshire

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the load factor was of wind turbines in Northamptonshire in the last six months.

Charles Hendry: Load factor information is not available on a county basis. In Q4 2011, the latest period for which these data are available, the load factor for the UK was 37.8%(1).
	Regional data for 2011 will be published in ‘Energy Trends’ in September 2012.
	(1) Data are produced on a quarterly basis and available in Energy Trends, which can be downloaded from:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/publications/trends/trends.aspx

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will make it his policy to prevent the construction of offshore wind turbines within 12 miles of the coast; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: The Government has not set fixed guidelines as to how close offshore wind farms can be built to the shoreline. Applications are treated on a case by case basis and detailed site-specific information and analysis will be required before a consent decision is taken. The environmental sensitivity of coastal areas is not uniform and the visual acceptability of wind farms close to shore will vary on a case by case basis.

Wind Power: Rural Areas

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the recommendations of the Campaign to Protect Rural England publication Generating Light on Landscape Impacts: How to accommodate onshore wind while protecting the countryside.

Charles Hendry: I noted this publication with interest.
	With regard to its recommendations, we have taken action to address concerns over the impact of the siting of wind turbine development. In England, the Government's new National Planning Policy Framework makes the local plan the keystone of the planning system. Through the framework and the wider changes under the Localism Act, the Government have put more power than ever before in the hands of communities to shape their neighbourhoods. We want local decisions to be plan-led, and driven by local councils, who will be able to identify suitable areas for renewable development.
	We are acutely aware of the concerns some communities have about development in their areas. The framework is clear about the importance of protecting the natural environment, while supporting the delivery of appropriately sited renewable and low carbon energy capacity. It provides that local councils when preparing local plans should design their policies to ensure that any cumulative and visual impacts from renewable energy developments are addressed satisfactorily.